Actor detained, accused of soliciting prostitutes

Multiple brands have canceled their partnership agreements with Li Yifeng after the Chinese actor was detained on charges of solicitation.

In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the Beijing Public Security Bureau announced the administrative detention of a 35-year-old actor identified only as Li, and added that the man had confessed to soliciting prostitutes on multiple occasions. State broadcaster China Central Television later confirmed the full name of the celebrity on its Weibo account.

Such detention can range from 10 to 15 days plus a fine of up to 5,000 yuan ($720), Xu Hao, a lawyer from Beijing Jingsh Law Firm, said on Monday.

As of press time, at least 10 brands that were previously endorsed by the actor, including Prada and Zhenguoli, a beverage produced by dairy company Mengniu, have declared the termination of their partnerships.

A partnership agreement between a brand and a celebrity generally clarifies the duties of the two sides and the promotional payment for the star, Xu said, adding "there is a special article in the agreement that requires the celebrity not to be involved in any behavior that may adversely affect the brand's reputation during the endorsement period".

"The irregular acts include criminal offenses and also those that harm public security, such as taking drugs, gambling, soliciting prostitutes or drunk driving," Xu said.

"When a brand signs a contract with a star, the two usually agree on the amount of compensation for breaching the article," he added. "If they don't note down the exact figure, they'll also agree on a way to accumulate the brand's financial loss caused by the celebrity's behavior."

In addition to the cancellation of partnerships, the organizing committee of the Huading Awards announced on Sunday that it had rescinded Li's titles of "Best Actor in China's Top 100 TV Dramas "and "The National Audience's Favorite Movie Star" awarded at the 22nd Huading Awards in 2017.

Even before the news of his detention, Li's name had been struck from the list of celebrities expected to perform at CCTV's annual Mid-Autumn Festival Gala on Saturday.

A music video starring the actor introducing the work of prosecutors was also deleted from the Weibo account of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, for whom Li previously served as a promotional ambassador.

Born in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Li shot to fame after coming eighth place in the talent show, My Hero.

With 60.6 million followers on Weibo, Li gained widespread attention for his roles in television series, including Swords of Legends and Sparrow. He also received the 33rd Hundred Flowers Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2016 for his role in the film Mr. Six.

Chinese-Canadian star Kris Wu, who appeared in the same film, was detained by Beijing police on charges of suspected rape last year. In June, Wu stood trial at a Beijing court on charges of rape and assembling a crowd to engage in promiscuous activities.