Zhang Ziyi claims victory in sex scandal case

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi [File photo]

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi announced Tuesday that she has won a 19-month defamation lawsuit against U.S.-based news website Boxun over an alleged sex scandal.

"19 months, nearly 600 days and nights, it's not long for a defamation case, but it's enough to destroy a person's reputation and innocence," Zhang's official Weibo blog said, "As for the anonymous sources of the rumors, we are not sure that you benefitted from your attacks, we are only sure that good will be rewarded and evil will be punished."

Hong Kong's Apple Daily, as well as the U.S. news website Boxun, owned by China Free Press and some other Chinese media publications, reported in May 2012 that Zhang made over 700 million yuan (US$110 million) by sleeping with high-ranking government officials and wealthy businessmen in China over the past 11 years. Zhang was outraged, and fought the allegation furiously, by denouncing the reports and filing lawsuits against Apple Daily, Boxun and the reporter Weican Null Meng.

The defamation lawsuits alleged that the report ruined potential endorsement deals between Zhang and luxury designer brand Michael Kors, French automaker Citroen and other companies. In November 2013, Zhang won the lawsuit against Apple Daily and its sister weekly Next Magazine at a Hong Kong superior court.

But while a Los Angeles judge ruled that there should be mediation between the two parties, the parties informed the court that they had reached a confidential settlement in principle on last Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Zhang denied on Monday that it was a hush settlement which hid some truths, "We will legally hunt down any media and individuals still spreading lies and rumors," she said.

Boxun News then posted an apology on Tuesday on its English website rather than its more popular Chinese website, saying, "These false reports about Zhang Ziyi should never have been published. As a result, Boxun News now renders its unreserved apology to Zhang Ziyi, has removed the entire series of articles about Zhang Ziyi from the Boxun News website, and has issued this formal retraction."

It said its reports about Zhang were "based on information provided to Boxun News by anonymous sources, who cannot support the information reported," and it "regrets the publication of these articles and any distress Zhang Ziyi may have suffered as a result of the articles."

Boxun gave no details about compensation.

Zhang, who recently entered into a relationship with rock star Wang Feng, may now have another reason to celebrate, following her Best Actress Award win for Wong Kar-Wai's "The Grandmaster" at the 56th Asia-Pacific Film Festival in Macao on December Dec. 15, 2013.