29th May 2023 – (Cannes) Fan Bingbing, one of China’s most prominent actresses, made a stunning comeback to the Cannes Film Festival red carpet after a two-year hiatus due to a major tax evasion scandal. The actress had been missing from public view for three months in 2018, during which time she was reportedly investigated by the Chinese authorities for tax fraud. She later issued a public apology and was fined a massive sum that exceeded her net worth. Since then, she has kept a low profile, avoiding the media and public appearances until now.
Fan Bingbing’s return to the Cannes Film Festival was nothing short of spectacular. She wowed the crowd with 16 stunning outfits during the festival, including a show-stopping black swan feather gown that she wore at the closing ceremony. Her skin was as radiant as ever, and her curves were accentuated by form-fitting dresses that made her look stunning.
However, her unretouched photos from the event have sparked controversy. One photo in particular, taken from her back, showed some bulges and blemishes that were not visible in the official photos released by her team. Some netizens commented that she looked different from her usual flawless self, with one user saying, “Seeing Fan Bingbing‘s unretouched photos makes me feel better about myself. Thank you, high-definition cameras.” Others noted that she seemed to have skin imperfections and speculated thatshe may not have been exercising or taking care of her body as much as she used to.
While some fans were disappointed by the leaked photos, others came to Fan Bingbing’s defense, pointing out that she is a 41-year-old woman who has been in the public eye for over two decades. They argued that it was unrealistic to expect her to look perfect all the time, and that the photos were a reminder that she is a real person, not just an image on a screen.
Fan Bingbing’s career has been marked by numerous achievements and accolades over the years. She has been included in Forbes China Celebrity 100 list from 2006 to 2017, and was even named the highest-paid celebrity in China from 2013 to 2017. She has also been recognized internationally, appearing on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2017.
Her early work included appearances in East Asian cinema and television, most notably in the drama series My Fair Princess from 1998 to 1999. She gained wider recognition with the film Cell Phone in 2003, which became China’s highest-grossing film of the year. She went on to star in several Chinese films, including Lost in Beijing (2007), Buddha Mountain (2011), and Double Xposure (2012). She also had roles in foreign films like the French film Stretch (2011), the Korean film My Way (2011), the American super hero movie X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and the Hong Kong-Chinese-American film Skiptrace (2015).
