Chinese actress finds relief as blackmailer arrested after threats to expose upskirt photos

After facing threats to ruin her career by sharing upskirt pictures on social media, a Chinese actress can now breathe a sigh of relief as her blackmailer has been arrested.

Jiang Mengjie contacted the police after discovering that upskirting footage of her had been circulated on social media. The Chinese actress informed her eight million followers on the social network Weibo that the video was filmed “many years ago.”

It was brought to her attention after one of her staff members spotted comments about the footage online.

Jiang revealed that a friend had sent her a video of the voyeuristic act which she said left her feeling “angry and disgusted, along with a feeling of powerlessness.” She added…

“Some web users have told me that videos have been posted to many groups… and the number of views has exceeded one million.”

The 33 year old Wuhan-born actress disclosed that she had received private messages from someone blackmailing her over the upskirt footage, threatening to ruin her career by sharing it with major film and TV companies and brands. She shared the messages with her followers and informed them that she had contacted the police, who have since detained the suspect.

Original Chinese blackmail message and the translation.

Jiang has been assured that she will be notified about the punishment of the blackmailer. As a public figure, she hopes to raise awareness about such vicious incidents by taking a stand. She said…

“It is not our fault that we have been secretly photographed. Our lives should not be affected by this kind of thing.”

The Chinese actress received widespread acclaim for sharing her story on social media. Her post went viral on Weibo, with yesterday’s posts about the incident garnering over 500 million reads, and receiving over 600,000 likes. Many have praised her for speaking out against the “arrogant” and “perverted” behaviour of her blackmailer.

“He should be ashamed… why does he think he can ruin someone for the rest of her life?” says one user, receiving over 25,000 likes.

“You are really brave,” said another user, while another added, Sisters should not suffer in silence when they encounter such a thing.”

While Jiang’s public profile may have made her more vulnerable to having the upskirting footage circulated widely, some have expressed concern that this could leave her feeling “persecuted” and unable to control her own image.

Many social media users have encouraged other women to “take up their legal weapons” and have condemned the idea of victim-blaming.

According to the Sixth Tone news website in 2020, upskirting and voyeurism are common concerns among women in China due to the absence of laws prohibiting the sale of hidden cameras.

In general, those caught secretly filming others have received sentences no longer than 10 days, leading many Chinese women to take precautions such as wearing additional layers of clothing to deter voyeurs and avoid judgmental comments.