by Nathaniel R
Fan Bingbing in May at Cannes with other female superstars, a month before she disappeared.
We've mentioned this frightening story twice before in news roundups but since it's making another round through more mainstream websites today -- it takes the big ones time with the foreign superstars -- we should update you.
Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing (I Am Not Madame Bovary, X-Men Days of Future Past), who we always love covering in her Cannes appearances, is STILL missing. The media started suspecting that she'd vanished in July since she isn't exactly shy about public appearances, red carpets and the like...
The disappearance happened before what should have been a very big year in her life. She was set to start filming 355 which was announced at Cannes, and would surely have boosted her profile in English language cinema, and she'd also recently become engaged to actor Chen Li.
Earlier this summer there were reports that she was being investigated for tax fraud since she pulls down huge amounts of money -- she even made the top five of Forbes list of highest paid actresses a few years ago.
The story becomes more alarming the longer it continues. Her young brother Fan Chengcheng (who is apparently a reality TV star?) reportedly wept during a fan appearance recently but did not mention his sister directly. We're going on three months now with no word on her whereabouts. Apparently her disappearance is now being blamed on the NSC a government "anti-corruption" task force in China which practices "enforced disappearances." China has had many issues with human rights abuses, but generally governments don't like to broadcast flagrant violations and it's hard to get more high profile than beautiful globally famous actresses who also double as spokespersons for luxury brands and the likes.
That this could happen to someone so famous is scary scary stuff. We pray she reemerges soon.