Missing Chinese actress breaks silence on her disappearance
Fan Bingbing released a statement
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CELEBRITY China
China's highest-paid actress Fan Bingbing made international headlines for suddenly disappearing from social media and public engagements. Now, after three months of silence, the 'X-Men' star has come forward with the truth behind her disappearance. Bingbing has admitted to committing tax evasion.
In a public statement, the star wrote, "I feel ashamed and guilty for what I did, and here, I offer my sincere apology to everyone. For a long period of time, I did not uphold the responsibility of safeguarding the interests of my country and our society against my personal interests. I feel ashamed that I committed tax evasion in 'Unbreakable Spirit' and other projects by taking advantage of 'split contracts.'"
Bingbing's tax evasion was made possible by using two separate contracts for each of her film roles. One, which showed her true salary was kept hidden, while the other showed a lesser amount, which she then submitted to tax authorities.
The actress continued to apologize by saying, "I shouldn't have lost my ability to govern myself in the face of economic interests, leading myself to break the law. Here I sincerely apologize to society, friends who care about me, the public and the taxation authorities."
Fan Bingbing has now agreed to relinquish $70 million for unpaid taxes, and she reportedly owes nearly $60 million in back taxes.