After three months of silence, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing returned to social media earlier this month and admitted to tax evasion, which was the long-suspected reason for her disappearance. Now, she's made her return IRL. During her absence, Fan was reportedly held at a secret "holiday resort" as part of China's practice of "residential surveillance at a designated location." This tactic is typically used against anyone considered a threat to "state security," but it's thought Fan's detention was meant as a warning to other Chinese celebrities as a part of the government's increased efforts to combat tax evasion in the entertainment industry.
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In a video captured by Baidu News and posted on Chinese social media site Weibo, Fan is seen walking through the Beijing Capital airport wearing dark glasses and a baseball cap. Behind her is a man with an umbrella.
Earlier this summer, Fan was accused by Chinese TV news reporter Cui Yongyuan of engaging in "split contracting." This involves signing a contract for a film with a smaller salary for tax purposes and then another with a much larger, tax-free salary. Cui released these two alleged contracts for the film Cell Phone 2, revealing that Fan's "official" salary was around $1.56 million, while her actual salary was at $10 million.
Fan may be back in public, however briefly, but she's still suffering the consequences. Her upcoming film Air Strike, originally set to premiere on October 26, has been axed, according to Page Six. The film also starred Bruce Willis and Adrien Brody.