Chinese court rejects Canadian pop star Kris Wu's appeal

A court in China's capital Beijing on Friday denied the appeal of Canadian pop star Kris Wu, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison for crimes including rape, it said in a statement.

Chinese-born Wu, 33, was a former member of K-pop group EXO and returned to China in 2014, where he built a lucrative career.

"(Kris) Wu violated the will of women and took advantage of the drunkenness of multiple victims to have sexual relations with them. His behaviour constituted the crime of rape," the Beijing No.3 Intermediate People's Court said.

Wu was detained in July 2021 after an 18-year-old Chinese student publicly accused him of inducing her and other girls, some of them younger than 18, to have sex with him.

The court said Wu gathered a crowd to engage in lewd activities and was the ringleader, therefore his behaviour constituted the crime of group licentiousness, and it would maintain the original ruling.

Wu's close relatives and officials from the Canadian embassy in China attended the verdict announcement.