Hong Kong (CNN) -- Kung fu movie star Jackie
Chan says he "takes responsibility" for the drug
charges laid against his son, 32-year-old Jaycee
Chan, in Beijing.
Police detained the junior Chan, who is originally
from Hong Kong and also an actor, as well as Kai
Ko, a 23-year-old Taiwanese actor, during a raid
on August 14 in Dongcheng district, Beijing, state
media said.
Both men tested positive for marijuana.
READ: Jackie Chan's son held in anti-drugs
crackdown in China's capital
Jackie Chan publicly addressed the incident for
the first time on Wednesday evening, through
messages posted on his account on Weibo, a
Chinese microblogging platform.
The star of "Rush Hour" wrote that he felt
"extremely furious" and "extremely shocked" at
the news of his son's drug woes, adding that
Jaycee's mother is "heartbroken."
"I hope that young people will see Jaycee as a
cautionary tale and stay away from drugs," wrote
Chan, who once campaigned against drug use
and was named an anti-drugs ambassador in
China in 2009.
"I failed to teach my son and I should also bear
responsibility. Jaycee and I deeply bow in apology
to society," concluded Chan on his Weibo, which
has more than 23 million followers.
'Really sorry'
After detaining the young actors, police searched
Jaycee Chan's apartment and found more than
100 grams of marijuana. He was also accused of
"hosting others to take drugs," the state-run
China Daily said. He could face three years in jail
under Chinese law.
State broadcaster CCTV aired footage of Chan,
his face blurred, showing police where the drugs
were hidden at his home, while Ko was shown
making a tearful apology.
"I very much regret what happened. I'm very
sorry to those who support me, like me or even
know me personally," he said. "I just want to tell
them I'm really sorry. I've set the worst example,
which had the most terrible influence. And this is
a huge mistake."
Celebrity targets
The two actors are being seen as the targets of
the capital's latest anti-drugs campaign, which
has snared more than 7,000 people for using
drugs since January, a 72% year-on-year
increase, according to China Daily .
Celebrities are increasingly in the spotlight, with a
number of high-profile arrests over drug-related
incidents in recent months, including popular
movie actor Zhang Mo and singer Li Daimo, who
was sentenced to nine months in jail for hosting a
crystal meth party at his home, according to the
China Daily.
Earlier this month, dozens of management
agencies representing performers in the
entertainment industry signed an agreement with
Beijing authorities banning drug use from the
industry and pledging to sack artists who break
the law.
No comments:
Post a Comment