Pianist Li Yundi Detained for Soliciting Sex Services
On October 21, pianist Li Yundi (李雲迪) was detained by police for soliciting sex services, which is illegal in China. The jaw-dropping news was announced on Beijing’s Chaoyang police district’s Weibo page today, and also widely reported by the state media.
After receiving a public tip that a man was soliciting sex services, the Chaoyang police investigated the matter and detained the 39-year-old pianist and a 29-year-old female sex worker with the surname Chen.
Prior to its official announcement, the police had already hinted at Li Yundi’s involvement, “The world is more than just black and white, but it is essential that we can differentiate what is black and what is white.”
The People’s Daily‘s overseas WeChat account forwarded the police announcement and wrote, “If you play the wrong key, you can start again, and the road of life can be recognized as black and white.” Many speculated that they were referencing Li Yundi’s scandal.
At the moment, Li Yundi’s father and agent have remained silent about the incident.
Li Yundi’s Rise to Fame
Born in in Chongqing, Li Yundi is an internationally acclaimed pianist. By the age of 18, he had already won the 14th Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition. In 2001, he made his debut as a professional piano player, and is well known by Chinese viewers due to his variety show appearances and also friendship with Leehom Wang (王力宏). In 2007, Li Yundi immigrated to Hong Kong as a permanent resident under the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme.
Aside from his music accomplishments, Li Yundi was awarded honorary titles such as “China’s Top Ten Youth Leaders”, “National Ambassador”, and “Shenzhen’s Volunteerism Ambassador.” In 2012, he was hired as the deputy dean and professor of the Piano Research Institute in the Sichuan Conservatory of Music.
In August, Li Yundi joined Mango TV’s Call Me By Fire <披荊斬棘的哥哥> and ironically, he was still promoting the Chinese music show on his Weibo today at noon.
The Call Me By Fire crew has yet to respond to his scandal. By this evening however, the first seven episodes, which featured footage of Li Yundi, were all removed from Chinese streaming platforms.
This article is written by Hailey for JayneStars.com.
penalizing the john in suppressing demand isn’t a bad way to fight prositution but erasing him and his career accomplishment is way overboard for such a fetish…
What a stupid thing to do. Publicly soliciting for sex when he knows that the eyes of Asia are watching him. Well, you can only show your true self. I keep telling everyone that a lot more is going to come out. There is another Taiwanese Jam Hsiao Summer Lin relationship happening. Jam and Summer are not a scandal as Summer isn’t married, but this other manager is married and she went all out to keep her young good looking stud from the costar he fell for. That I want exposed. The young stud in this case is controlled and bullied by her and cannot leave the contract. It is weird he did that, considering the microscopic view the Chinese celebrities are under. Then again, when you cross the the powers who made you so famous and rich, those powers will destroy you. Call me crazy, that is okay.
PRC has to chill. A 29 yo woman sold a service to a 39 yo man. Prostitution is illegal in mainland but legal in HK. He immigrated to HK in 2007 as a permanent resident. He’s an acclaimed international pianist, meaning China was just one revenue stream. Chinese celebrities buy property abroad for a reason.
His citizenship would not matter as it is always where you have committed the crime. Same with Chris Wu. China has always veen strict with scandals. Zhang Zhehan didnt even commit a crime before he was wiped from all media platforms.
He must have pissed someone off enough that they trapped him in this. I find it hard to believe of all well known people out there he’s the one they catch for buying service. All I can say is at least he paid, which makes him a lot. A lot better than Kris Wu.
Anyways, after the whole crackdown thing you’d have to be pretty dumb to do this sort of thing, so maybe he was set up.
I agree with you all. Very valid comments made. And yes, some men prefer the thrill of intimacy without the commitment. And usually, prostitutes don’t usually kiss and tell, especially if they service celebrities and other rich and powerful people, cause they are afraid of repercussions.
I also think he did not wsnt to use fans or groupies cause when the “relationship ” goes sour, these women will spill the beans, which destroys these men’s careers. Some powerful person, or persons appear/s to be targeting these chinese celebrities for a fall, not that they need any help in setting the celebs up, cause they, the celebrities, are doing a great job at falling all by themselves .
I also believe that Li Yundi does not deserve to be punshied by being scrubbed andn excommunicated by the Chinese entertainment industry. A lot of the Asian celebrities do this, so it makes me wonder if he was a deliberate target. Like I say, a lot of good and bad things will be revealed in the months and year ahead.
I am really curious why celebrities like him need to get prostitute service? I am sure there will be many fans throwing themselves at him, or can even get female friends easily for such action? Unless he does not want to take advantage of all these “free rides” so he rather paid for it. But then is really surprising he is this desperate
It could be the thrill and danger that entices some men into soliciting services. Years ago a handsome and successful British actor Hugh Grant did the same thing. And he was a guest at some charity event in China several years later.
@msxie0714 yeah I was about to say the same thing. Hugh Grant did it instead of having a regular relationship like normal celebrities, so maybe he just wanted the thrill without having entanglements with real people. I don’t know what it says about them though, that it’s sad to not have a life where they can pursue relationships or that they don’t trust regular women enough. Anyways that aside, I’ve been hearing rumors that his professional life has been on a steep decline in recent years so that might explain his descent into depravity. On that topic, the theory goes that artistic men are likely to be non-monogamous because of their open nature and desire for change/creativity, so take from that what you mean.
*will
Yes, unfortunately he did have an indiscreet meeting with a colored woman who for whatever reason blew it up for him, it was well advertised back then. Remember the talk show he was on soon after in New York City asked by the host of that show, “what the hell were you thinking” or some effect to that statement. He was silent with that type of look like “oops”! But I do remember his girlfriend at that time,beautiful English top model, turned actress which I’m sure everybody wondered & was surprised about that, cause soon after it was “quits” for them. So what comment I just read here is maybe reason he did it not so much as desperate but wanting to live his life for the moment indiscretely that type of service is hushed privately with no one prying into his personal life or business. It’s strange that men can do it, but not the women, what services is there for the women or maybe there is…..discretely handled and behind closed doors so to speak, who knows, but I know, it’s none of our business but theirs. If they don’t pry into mine, I won’t do the same, we are human after all, right? It’s also called “respect”.
You called paying someone for xxx “desperate”, and ok for celebrities to use fans for “free rides”??? Wow. You sir has some real moral problems. 1 – at least he doesn’t use his fame to get the service, 2 – it’s way more consensual, than forcing/pressuring young girls who has no idea into xxx. Your thinking is why ppl like kris wu thinks it’s ok to prey on fans.