Former China Central Television (CCTV) host Zhu Jun was accused two years ago of sexually harassing intern Chordzi in 2014, a case that began today in Beijing’s Haidian District Court. Chord revealed that although both she and Zhu Jun applied for an open trial, the court did not agree to make the proceedings public. In the case, Zhu Jun counterclaimed that her “reputation has been severely infringed” and that she has “suffered serious mental harm. The outcome of today’s trial will determine whether MeToo participants, such as Future Chord, will instead become defendants.
According to a report by the Central News Agency (CCTV) today, the Chinese version of MeToo, a sexual harassment case against a former CCTV host, has begun. This case is one of the few similar cases in China to go to trial, and some analysts believe that it may have a significant impact on the future of the MeToo movement in China, according to the report, which cites foreign media such as Singapore’s United Daily News and the BBC’s Chinese website.
According to NetEase video footage, more than 100 people gathered outside the Haidian Court this afternoon to spontaneously show support for the strings, with chants such as “sexual harassment is shameful,” “break the black box,” and “#MeToo! The slogans are “I will win” and other slogans. When she arrived, she opened a poster that said “Win” and thanked the crowd, at one point hiding her face and crying. In the interview, Chord said that even if the result is not good, she hopes that people will not be discouraged by her case.
According to the report, before the trial, Chord took to Weibo to say that even though both she and Zhu Jun had applied for a public hearing, the court still refused to open the trial to the public, and her request for Zhu Jun to appear in person remained unanswered. In an interview with the BBC, Chord said that she has no regrets whether she wins or loses. “If I win, it will definitely inspire more women to come forward and tell their stories; if I lose, I will continue to appeal until I get justice.” According to the report, the BBC reached out to Zhu Jun and his attorney via email and phone before the trial, but did not receive a response.
Chord posted a message to her WeChat circle of friends in July 2018, revealing that she had been an intern at CCTV’s “Art of Life” program in 2014, but was attempted to be molested in the program’s dressing room by Zhu Jun through her clothes. After the incident, she reported the incident to the local police, who advised her to drop the charges, citing Zhu Jun’s celebrity status, and hoped that she would think twice about Zhu Jun’s “positive influence” on society.
Xu Chao, a friend of Chordzi’s and an NGO worker with the screen name “McBurn,” then forwarded Chordzi’s article to Weibo, where it quickly went viral on the Chinese Internet and was immediately blocked. This case attracted attention because it coincided with the MeToo movement in Europe and the U.S., which uncovered celebrity sexual assault cases, and several similar cases surfaced in China.
According to the Central News Agency, Zhu Jun filed a complaint against Chord and Xu Chao for “serious infringement on his reputation” and “serious mental harm”.
According to Chord told the BBC, “(These past few years) have brought me great harm. The defendants even said that I was delusional. For this reason, I even went to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation… In the process of gathering evidence for 2014, I repeated my experience countless times. Each time, it was a torture and humiliation.”
Xu Chao is currently studying for a master’s degree in the United Kingdom. She told the BBC that if the court rules against Strings, it will mean that Zhu Jun’s accusations of reputation infringement against them will be official. “But even though I’m in England, I’m ready to continue to respond.”
Recent Comments