Beijing Pops: Celebs' Data Leaked, Director Admits Plagiarism

Guo Jingming finally admitted to a plagiarism scandal that was 15 years in the making

Guo Jingming, a 37-year-old writer and director who’s known for directing the hit series Tiny Times – which many consider to be the Chinese equivalent of Sex and the City – apologized for plagiarizing portions of a book he published 15 years ago. Last month, 156 scriptwriters, directors, and producers jointly signed a letter of intent to boycott Guo's work after he was invited to be the judge of an acting competition show. Under pressure from the public, Guo posted an article on Weibo on Dec 31, admitting to and apologizing for the plagiarised work. He publicly offered compensation to the victim, writer Zhuang Yu, but Zhuang refused and counter-proposed the establishment of an anti-plagiarism fund together with Guo. On Dec 16 Guo’s new film, The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity, premiered in Beijing, however, in light of the scandal, the film was subsequently pulled from most cinemas.

Images: Xinjingbao, Weibo, Douban