SEVERAL companies Saturday canceled their partnerships with Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter Wang Leehom after his wife, Lee Jinglei, on Friday accused him of having extramarital affairs. On Wednesday, Wang confirmed that he and his wife of eight years had filed for divorce. “We have different ideas and plans for our future, so we decided to separate. Although we have filed for divorce, we will always be family,” Wang wrote. “I regret not doing enough in our marriage these past few years.” Lee in a lengthy social media post said Wang had been openly having affairs and sex with prostitutes, adding that he had pressured her into accepting a divorce to protect his reputation. Lee also said that members of Wang’s family had emotionally abused her. Automaker Infiniti’s China subsidiary Saturday said in a statement that it was “effective immediately, terminating its partnership with Wang.” The move came just one day after Infiniti said Wang would act as its brand ambassador. Electronics company Readboy also said it would terminate its contract with Wang. Chow Tai Seng Jewelry Co. said Saturday that the advertising cooperation agreement with Wang had expired Nov. 30, 2021, and there will be no further cooperation. Hong Kong-based Green Monday, which supplies products from plant-based meat maker Beyond Meat across Asia, also announced that the firm and two brands under it — Green Common and OMNI — will terminate business cooperation with Wang starting from Saturday. In her post, Lee, a graduate of Princeton and Columbia universities, said Wang pressured her into a life where she eventually chose to give up her career. She said that when they first met, Wang, then 26, had pursued her even though she was 16 and Wang was in a relationship with another woman. Lee’s article made a big splash the minute it was posted on social media. As of press time, the article has received more than 12 million likes on Weibo. In a follow-up post on Weibo yesterday, Lee said she regretted to see Wang’s father had to tell lies publicly trying to help him. She also posted a screenshot of a text message from Wang asking her to “tell the media that the accusations were groundless” in exchange for the condo she and her children are living in. Wang, 45, and Lee were married in the United States in November 2013. They have three children. Wang’s career started when he released his first Mandopop album in Taiwan in 1995. His musical style is known for fusing Chinese elements, such as Beijing opera, with hip-hop and R&B. He has also acted in several popular films, including Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution” and Jackie Chan’s “Little Big Soldier.” In November, China’s top internet regulator said that it will establish a negative list to prevent celebrity-related content from promoting distorted values. Also last month, the China Association of Performing Arts published a new blacklist forbidding 88 celebrities to give livestreaming performances, including Kris Wu who was arrested on rape charges, Zheng Shuang who was fined for tax fraud, and Zhang Zhehan who visited Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine which enshrines World War II war criminals. (SD-Agencies) | 