Fan Bingbing, Top Chinese Actress, Apologizes For Disappearing After Being Fined For Tax Evasion

Chinese actress Fan Bingbing was slapped with fined hundreds of millions of yuan for tax evasion and other offenses. But now she has resurfaced with an apology, saying she felt “ashamed and guilty for what I did” and begging “for everyone’s forgiveness.”

The actress, who is one of China’s highest paid actors, had completely vanished from the public eye for the last three months. Authorities said on Wednesday that she would avoid criminal charges if she pays the fines on time, according to BBC News.

Fan’s Weibo social media account was quiet for months, and fans speculated why she had disappeared, with many wondering whether she had been imprisoned or put under house arrest by Chinese authorities.

But the star has finally spoken out, saying that she accepted responsibility for having “lost my ability to govern myself in the face of economic interests, leading myself to break the law,” according to Variety.

“Recently I have endured an unprecedented amount of pain, undergoing deep self-reflection and introspection. I feel ashamed and guilty for what I did, and here, I offer my sincere apology to everyone,” she said in an apology letter.

She added that she regretted having “committed tax evasion in Unbreakable Spirit and other projects,” which she did by taking advantage of “split-contracts.” These contracts, also known as “yin-yang contracts,” are a practice that many film stars have allegedly undertaken. It works out by having two contracts stipulated: One sets out an actor’s real earnings and the other shows a lower figure, with the latter given to the tax authorities.

Fan Bingbing breaks silence over $100 million tax bill: "I failed my country" https://t.co/CfR1Ru9wYc pic.twitter.com/z0LNceBuQZ

— THR International (@THRGlobal) October 3, 2018

“Throughout these days of my cooperation with the taxation authorities’ investigation of my accounts as well as my company’s, I have realized that, as a public figure, I should’ve observed the law, setting a good example for society and the industry,” Fan said.

The 37-year-old star, who has appeared in the X-Men and Iron Man movie franchises, has vowed to pay the back taxes and fines that both she and all her companies owe the government, which are as high as RMB 883 million ($129 million).

Last year, Fan topped Forbes magazine’s rank of highest-earning Chinese celebrities, with an income of around 300 million yuan ($43 million).

“Today I’m facing enormous fears and worries over the mistakes I made! I have failed the country, society’s support and trust, and the love of my devoted fans! I offer my sincere apology here once again! I beg for everyone’s forgiveness!” her’s statement said.

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