Fan Bingbing Posts Rare Selfie for the First Time Since Tax Evasion Scandal

The 37-year-old actress posted her greetings on Weibo on Monday, February 4, on the eve of Chinese New Year as well as on her Facebook and Instagram. “Love you all! Happy new year!” she wrote in the caption accompanied by a picture of herself without any make-up on, AsiaOne reported.

Fan made news last year when Chinese television presenter, Cui Yongyuan, uncovered her tax evasion practice. The actress was accused of using “Yin-Yang Contracts” where she would sign two documents and only report one of them to China’s tax authorities and keep the other one tax free.

She was last seen on social media around June 2018, and in May 2018 on her Instagram account she made her last post. It was revealed late last year that she was placed “under control, and will accept legal decision.”

Not only was she made to pay up her unpaid taxes – worth 288 million yuan ($41.9 million) – Fan was also slapped with a huge fine of 479 million yuan ($69.7 million).

Reports then emerged in October suggesting that she had been released from a residential detention used to interrogate communist officials. She later offered an apology statement.

“I feel ashamed and guilty for what I did, and here, I offer my sincere apology to everyone,” Fan wrote. “I feel ashamed that I committed tax evasion in [upcoming film] ‘Unbreakable Spirit’ and other projects by taking advantage of ‘split contracts.’ Throughout these days of my cooperation with the taxation authorities’ investigation of my accounts as well as my company’s, I have realized that, as a public figure, I should’ve observed the law, setting a good example for society and the industry.”

Regarded as one of China’s most famous movie star, and the highest paid Chinese celebrity in Forbes’ 2017 China Celebrity 100 list, Fan appeared in many films including “My Fair Princess,” “Cell Phone,” and the Hollywood superhero film “X-Men: Days of Future Past” as the teleporting mutant, Blink.

Images via Instagram / bingbing_fan