Bai Ling’s past has caught up on the actress and model born in China, resulting in CCTV removing her promotional photo from an episode about the “Long March” that the state-owned broadcaster posted on its website.
Unlike other models who posed nude or had a sex video, Bai Ling’s past was her criticisms of her past experience as an art troupe member of the People’s Liberation Army where she claimed to have been sexually abused repeatedly and forced to have an abortion.
She is also being vilified for her role as a lawyer who exposed conspiracies and corruption among senior Chinese officials in the 1997 movie “Red Corner” which was banned in the mainland, BBC reported.
On Oct. 22, 55-year-old Bai Ling appeared in episode 6 of the eight-part series “Long March Shakes the World.” In the promotional photographs, the actress is seen wearing a historical Red Army marcher’s uniform. The images were shot at key points along the Long March route.
Netizens could not believe that the state-owned broadcaster cast Bai Ling in the documentary. A Weibo user, Du Jianguo, said the photo of the actress – who migrated to the U.S. – did not promote the “Long March” but instead insulted Chinese.
CCTV produced the TV documentary to mark the 80th anniversary of the Long March which occurred from 1934 to 1936, according to Global Times.
In response to the criticisms, Bai Ling apologized through an open letter published on Oct. 25 for her previous “prejudices” against China. She wrote, “I am proud of China, and I am proud of our Long March spirit … I am apologising because of my love... and my passion for our motherland.
Shan Renping, a Global Times commentator, said the incident was a lesson for CCTV – which did not comment but removed Bai Ling’s promotional photo – and asked broadcasters to be extra careful in casting actors for their shows.
Bai Ling actually has actually bared in the past her body, but it is not her naked images that Chinese are bringing up against the actress, rather her past comments about the PLA.