On February 25th, the well-known mainland Chinese blogger “Dǒngguāguā” revealed on Weibo that the top director in China, Ma Jin, was sentenced to three years in prison for raping a female celebrity in 2021. Calculating the time, Ma Jin has recently completed his prison term and been released.
“Dǒngguāguā” posted on Weibo on the 25th, initially mentioning the arrest of a supporting actor named Zheng involved in the movie “The Mermaid” for child molestation, which attracted attention. But he claimed to know a case ten times more explosive than that news, which involved a prominent frontline director in the film and television industry being arrested and imprisoned for raping a well-known female celebrity.
He went on to name Ma Jin specifically, stating that the incident occurred in August 2021 when the female star was filming on Ma Jin’s set. Ma Jin carried out violent acts against her in a hotel room despite the woman’s initial resistance. He forced himself on her and physically assaulted her. The female star bravely reported the incident to the police, leading to Ma Jin’s arrest. He immediately admitted to the crime and was sentenced to three years. The revelation not only mentioned the name of the female star but also described her characteristics, causing the story to trend.
Public records show that Ma Jin was born in Tianjin, graduated from the Director Department of Shanghai Theatre Academy, and worked as a producer at Tianjin TV Drama Production Center and Tianjin TV Culture Development Co., Ltd. He is a member of the China Television Artists Association, a national first-class director and screenwriter, and has directed many popular dramas such as “The Pursuit of Happyness,” “Because of You,” and “The Deer and the Cauldron,” winning numerous awards including the Feitian Award, Golden Eagle Award, and Magnolia Award for Best Director.
Of note, “Dǒngguāguā” publicly revealed the names of the parties involved in the disclosure. While Ma Jin’s criminal identity does not need to be concealed, many netizens believe that the privacy of the female star as a victim should be protected. They criticized “Dǒngguāguā,” saying, “What right do you have to disclose criminal cases so recklessly? Have you considered the secondary harm to the victim by naming names?”
According to “Jí Mù News,” on the evening of February 25th, the whistleblower account “Dǒngguāguā” was permanently banned from posting. The account’s Weibo page currently displays: “Due to violations of the community guidelines, this user is currently in a state of permanent ban from posting.”