Beijing Pops: Piano Prince Arrested for Soliciting Prostitution, Another Celebrity Divorce & More

Feeling left out when your Chinese colleagues are gossiping about a trending star? Puzzled by those glamorous Chinese faces in subway ads, but can't even tell who they are? Beijing Pops will help you get through it all with the latest pop culture and celebrity news.

Piano Prince publicly shamed for prostitution

If you were a piano-playing kid born in or after the ’90s, chances are the names Lang Lang and Li Yundi echoed throughout the home more than your own, as your parents attempted to persuade you to practice hard and become the next world-class prodigy pianist.

However, one of these stars is not like the other. Whereas Lang Lang married the German-Korean pianist Gina Alice in 2019, Li Yundi is still living the bachelor life and has been the subject of more than a few rumors during his time in the spotlight. At any rate, known for his extraordinary technique when it comes to tickling the ivories and his handsome, if not a little bit feminine appearance, he's known throughout the country as the “Prince of the Piano.”

Turns out, however, that our fair prince is less adept at telling the difference between black and white when it comes to the law, as opposed to his piano keys. In fact, Chinese netizens were left stunned when they found out this beloved performer had been reported and subsequently arrested for soliciting prostitution last month, with some saying that this certainly wasn't his first foray into the lifestyle.

It's worth noting that in China, prostitution isn't legal, however, it also isn’t classified as a criminal offense. As such, those charged with the pseudo-crime generally receive a penalty ranging from a warning or a fine at best, to administrative detention at worst. For a public figure like Li Yundi though, his punishment will largely be a public shaming and most likely the end of his career, especially considering the government's tightening restrictions over the entertainment industry.

From the youngest and first Chinese winner of the Chopin Award at 18 to an object of internet ridicule by the end of his 30s, only time will tell what sort of tunes this latest odyssey will inspire.

Celebrity couple announces divorce, breaks the internet

Earlier this week, Taiwanese actress and singer Xu Xiyuan – aka Barbie Hsu – and Beijing-based entrepreneur Wang Xiaofei publicly announced their divorce via Weibo, and the news quickly jumped to the top of the trending charts.

To be sure, Xu and Wang weren't the first couples whose love crossed the Taiwan Strait, but without a doubt, they've certainly received the most attention for it over the past decade and even exemplified the #relationshipgoals that other couples dreamed of. Unfortunately, their recent announcement not only ended the 11-year marriage but also many netizens’ illusions of what a harmonious relationship looks like. 

The couple is yet to reveal what belies the otherwise calm and peaceful announcement – rumor has it an irreconcilable divide between their ideologies doomed the relationship – and there's been no evidence to suggest any sort of impropriety on either person's part. But that didn't stop many netizens from rushing to Wang's Weibo where they celebrated his newfound singledom and congratulated him for making what they consider to be the "right decision."

Ironically, Wang and Xu participated in a show about happy celebrity couples some years ago, alongside the table tennis Olympic greats and once-lovers Fukuhara Ai and Jiang Hongjie. They too have since split, meaning Jiang Qinqin and Chen Jianbin are the only couple to have survived what some are calling the curse of this show.

Banned from the stage, banned from the internet

Countless public figures have fallen from grace in China in recent years. However, despite being banned from participating in TV and film, some of them turned to the wild world of e-commerce and live streaming, where they continued to maintain a public persona and relatively lucrative career.

That's all coming to an end, however, as earlier this week the China Association of Performing Arts’ new Online Performing Department unveiled a blacklist of some 88 names specifically drafted for the live streaming industry. Among them, netizens found more than a few problematic celebrities such as Kris Wu, Zheng Shuang, and Zhang Zhehan.

The list appears to signal the government's intentions of tightening restrictions over the emerging live streaming industry. Perhaps more interesting though, is that the announcement also notes these celebrities were not only listed because they broke the law but also because of the behavior of their fans, which includes abusing publicity stunts, spreading rumors, and disturbing the social order.

On the other hand, the new announcement also requires platforms and entertainment agencies to protect the privacy of performers by banning them from sharing details of their personal lives, leaking personal information, or provoking fans to defame other performers.

Read: Here's How to Get Rid of Your Old Electric Scooter in Beijing

Images: Jiemian, Weibo, TTN, ltn