Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing had been missing from the public eye since July, before a post finally went up on her Weibo profile yesterday, in which she admitted fault for tax evasion and apologized profusely to her fans and the Chinese state for her crimes. Fan’s whereabouts, however, were still unknown when the post went up, but a new report from the South China Morning Post might finally have the first update on her location in months. According to unnamed sources, Fan was released two weeks ago from “residential surveillance at a designated location,†which one source described as a “holiday resort†in the coastal province of Jiangsu, where government officials have been held previously for investigation. The actress reportedly returned to Beijing after being released, but it is unknown whether or not she will have to participate further in an investigation, or if her time under scrutiny is over.
Fan has been hit with a tax bill exceeding $100 million USD for overdue payments and fines, and the Chinese government has used her case as a catalyst for cracking down on figures in their entertainment industries. In the statement she posted previously, Fan said, “Recently, I have experienced unprecedented pain and agony,†adding, “I have undergone profound thought and reflection. I feel ashamed and guilty about what I have done, and I sincerely apologise to you all!â€