While not well known here, Fan Bingbing is a huge star in China. However, as prominent as the actress is, nobody has apparently seen her in some time. The actress reportedly hasn't been seen in public since July 1 and her social media accounts have been dark since July 23, leading to speculation that something has happened to the actress. Rumors run the gamut from a belief she is being detained by Chinese authorities to her having escaped to the U.S. in order to avoid the same.
Earlier this year Fan Bingbing was the highest paid actress in China and was a popular choice for the promotion of luxury brands in the nation. However, recently Fan's name has been linked to a widespread tax evasion scandal in China that has included numerous names in the country's entertainment industry. Apparently, performers were being given two contracts for some films. A small one was used for tax purposes but the second revealed that actors were being paid much more.
It seems that some believe that Fan may have been detained by Chinese authorities due to these alleged tax evasion issues. However, a Hong Kong tabloid reported at the end of August that the actress was seen at an immigration office in Los Angeles, though it seems that report has no corroboration.
Whatever the situation, it's clear that China has become a less than hospitable place for the actress. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that a recent report ranking the social responsibility of China's 100 top stars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences ranked Fan Bingbing dead last, with a score of zero out of 100. Even if nothing unfortunate has happened to the actress, it would not be surprising if she's simply keeping an intentionally low profile.
Western audiences probably know Fan Bingbing best from her small role as Blink in X-Men: Days of Future Past, though she is currently scheduled to be part of the star-studded ensemble cast of spy thriller 355 that will co-star Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, and Lupita Nyong'o, which could very likely raise her profile stateside in a big way.
This wouldn't be the first time that are a person in the public eye just took a break from being in public without anything nefarious being at play, but given the circumstances, it seems that there is something to this story, even if exactly what it is, is not clear. The actresses representatives aren't talking either.
Hopefully, whatever is going on, Fan Bingbing is ok. At some point, given the actress' popularity, something will have to be said revealing what has happened, as it's unlikely people will just forget about somebody with a fanbase like hers.
