Major works, including videos and the name, of one of China‘s biggest film personalities, Zhao Wei, were taken down by the authorities on Thursday, reported Global Times. Wei appeared in many films, talk shows and TV series.

According to the local newspaper China Business News, many major works of the 45-year-old actor no longer played Thursday evening on streaming sites, such as Tencent Video and her name had also been scrubbed from the titles’ landing pages.   

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The removal comes after actor Zhang Zhehan, whose works were taken down as he came under fire for visiting Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine.

The fan clubs of the actor were also made inactive on social media Weibo as of Friday. 

According to Hubei-based news media Jimu News, many video platforms confirmed the removal of Zhao’s works, saying they received the request at a short notice and without a clear reason. 

The reason behind the crackdown was not clear and both Wei’s agency and Chinese authorities have not responded on the matter. However, many media reports hint that Wei could be a possible new target of the internet take down, as Beijing ramps up its crackdown on the entertainment industry and fan culture.

Chinese authorities have put the entertainment industry on online scrutiny in recent months, over what state media outlets have labelled as ‘improper fan activities.’

The Chinese cyberspace regulator asked social media
platforms Friday to remove all ranking lists of celebrities.

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However, this is not the first time Wei’s activities have been banned. In 2018, Zhao and her husband were banned by the Shanghai Stock Exchange from acting as senior executives for any listed companies for five years due to irregularities.

Zhao, who was made the Italian luxury fashion brand Fendi’s China brand spokesperson in 2020, is one of China’s most popular actors. However, ‘The Fair Princess’ actor had been linked in various scandals over the years.

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The actor also served on a jury at the Venice International Film Festival and owns a wine chateau in Bordeaux.