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Kris WuCanadian-Chinese rapper, songwriter, actor, and model
Date of Birth: 06.11.1990
Country:  China |
Content:
- Early Life
- Career
- 2014-2016: Solo Debut and Other Activities
- 2017-Present: International Performances
- Criminal Investigation
Early Life
Born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, Kris Wu's birth name was Li Jiahen. He later changed it to Wu Yifan (Wu: his mother's surname, Yifan: his second name, traditionally given during childhood). Upon moving to Canada, he adopted the name Kris Wu. Raised by a single mother, Kris and his mother relocated to Canada when he was 10. He is fluent in Chinese, Cantonese, English, and Korean. In 2005, at age 15, he returned to Guangzhou and attended Guangzhou No.7 Middle School. Kris captained the school's basketball team, which won first place in the Chinese Junior NBA Tournament. He subsequently moved back to Vancouver, attending Point Grey Secondary School and Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, where he also captained the basketball team.
Career
2012-2014: EXO DebutOn February 17, 2012, Wu was introduced as the eleventh member of EXO. EXO debuted in April and quickly rose to become one of the most popular K-pop groups in South Korea and internationally, achieving commercial success with their studio album XOXO and the hit single "Growl" in 2013. XOXO became the first album by a Korean artist in twelve years to sell over a million copies and is the 12th best-selling album of all time in Korea. Kris's last album with the group was Overdose, released in May 2014.
2014-2016: Solo Debut and Other Activities
Wu released "Time Boils the Rain" as part of the soundtrack for the Chinese film Tiny Times 3 in July 2014. The following year, Kris Wu became the youngest celebrity to have a wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Shanghai and was named Esquire China's "Newcomer of the Year."
Wu made his film debut in the romantic comedy Somewhere Only We Know, directed by Xu Jinglei. The film was released on February 14, 2015, and debuted at number 1 at the Chinese box office, grossing $37.81 million USD within six days of its release. For his role, he received the "Best Newcomer" award at the 3rd London Chinese International Film Festival. He then starred in a second film, Mr. Six, which closed the Venice Film Festival. The film grossed over $137 million USD and became one of the highest-grossing films in China. Kris also appeared in the films So Young 2: Never Gone and Sweet Sixteen. For his role in the latter, he received the "Newcomer with the Most Media Attention" award at the Shanghai International Film Festival and the "Best Actor" award at the Golden Crane Award. Wu also starred in the fantasy blockbuster Legend of the Ancient Sword.
2017-Present: International Performances
Kris attended Burberry's menswear show in London. He participated in the NBA All-Star Game as a member of Team Canada.
Mercedes-Benz partnered with Kris as their brand ambassador in China. His special edition of the latest Smart Forfour – electric drive was unveiled at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition at Mercedes-Benz Magazine Beijing on April 24, 2016. All 188 limited-edition Smart Forfours were sold out in just 25 seconds.
In late September 2020, Kris officially became a TrackLapTime driver and took his first official test, where he set a new record for the GT3 RS – the best lap time on the track at #3 overall with a time of 1:35.365! In 2020, Kris broke another racing record on one of the tracks in Zhejiang with a best time of 01:33.480, the fastest lap time on that track. Kris was driving the 911 GT3 RS.
Criminal Investigation
On July 8, 2021, Wu was publicly accused of sexual assault by a 19-year-old Chinese college student and several other women, including underage girls, while they were allegedly unconscious under the influence of alcohol. She claimed to have been raped while drunk at age 17 and stated that at least seven other victims, two of whom were minors at the time of the alleged incident, had come forward.
The accusations were denied by Wu, though it was later revealed that Wu's team had attempted to silence the accusers through hush money payments. The alleged sexual offenses are currently being investigated by the Beijing Public Security Bureau and other authorities. Several brands have since terminated or suspended commercial deals with Wu.
On July 31, 2021, Kris Wu was detained by Beijing police on suspicion of rape.
