Top 10 entertainment scandals in 2011
- By Zhang Rui
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China.org.cn, December 31, 2011
1、Guo Meimei and Red Cross
The biggest and most shameful drama in 2011 was the saga of, a girl who "successfully" brought down the biggest charity organization in China by bragging about her life of luxury.
In June, Guo Meimei, 20, claimed to be the general manager of a company called Red Cross Commerce. She boasted on her micro-blog about her luxurious lifestyle, posting pictures of her with Maserati and Lamborghini cars, expensive handbags and a palatial villa.
Guo's boasting and public extravagance sparked public ire and raised suspicions that Red Cross donations were being misappropriated, which the Red Cross firmly denied. Internet users, however, were relentless in their search for the truth and gradually pieced together the story of a regular girl who claimed to manage Red Cross-related companies and enjoyed a life of extravagant luxury.
Some claimed that Guo was the mistress of the board chairman of Red Cross Commerce, Wang Jun, however Guo described him as her 'sugar daddy.' She also gave a number of interviews in which she claimed that her money came from her mother's stock market investments and mah-jong gambling winnings. These claims were roundly dismissed as "ridiculous" and "unbelievable".
The notoriety made Guo a somewhat hilarious celebrity figure that was paid to sing in obscure city nightclubs and constantly mocked by Internet users. She also opened an online clothes store and recorded a widely-derided music video in hopes of launching a singing career.
However, it was the Red Cross that suffered the most in the scandal which took many by surprise. Along with the loss of its credibility, the charity faces an uphill struggle to clear its name and restore its image, which is unlikely, unless it can achieve greater transparency.
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