Fan Bingbing, Missing Chinese Star, Reappears to Praise Communist Party

Months after her abrupt disappearance sparked fears of imprisonment, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing reappeared on social media Wednesday to praise the Communist Party and issue a dramatic apology for evading taxes. “Recently, I have experienced unprecedented pain and agony, and I have undergone profound thought and reflection,” she wrote on the Chinese social networking site Weibo, according to The Washington Post. “I feel ashamed and guilty about what I have done, and I sincerely apologize to you all!” she said. Fan’s remarks—her first public comments since she was last seen in July—came shortly after Chinese tax authorities announced that she’d have to pay a total of $130 million in back taxes and fines for underreporting her earnings for several years. The actress, known for her roles in X-Men: Days of Future Past and Iron Man 3, said Wednesday that she “fully accepted” the conclusions of Chinese authorities. “Without the great policies of the Communist Party and the state, without the people’s love and care, there would be no Fan Bingbing,” she wrote. Fan’s whereabouts throughout the several months of her absence remain unknown, but The South China Morning Post has reported that she was kept under “residential surveillance at a designated location” for several weeks.

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