Wolf Warrior star Wu Jing wins US$16,900 over hospital prostate operation advertisement
- Star says misuse of his image in brochure would make fans think he was ill
- Yunnan hospital ignored summons to send representative to court, report says
On Monday, the court in Beijing ruled that Jundu 339 Hospital in Kunming, Yunnan province, must pay 100,000 yuan for Wu’s economic losses and 20,000 yuan for emotional distress, the Beijing Evening News reported.
The hospital had infringed the star’s image and reputation rights, the court said.
Wu’s lawyers objected to a brochure called Yunnan Men, which was distributed around Kunming Railway Station in July last year, the report said.
The brochure featured a large photo of Wu from the 2017 film Wolf Warrior 2 and advertising blurb that said: “It only takes seven days to restore your prostate back to the status of young age and let you be the fiercest wolf warrior in bed.”
The brochure contained other advertisements for men’s health services and products, as well as the hospital’s name, address and website.
Wu was quoted as saying that the advertisement would mislead readers into thinking that he had suffered an illness, or that he must have a connection to the hospital.
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The actor said anyone who read the brochure would think it reflected badly on him.
The report said the hospital did not answer a summons to send representative to the court.
Wu, 45, is a first-tier martial artist, actor and director in China. Wolf Warrior 2 earned 5.68 billion yuan at the box office, the highest grossing Chinese-made film.
He also starred in the science-fiction blockbuster The Wandering Earth, released during the Lunar New Year holiday this year. It is the most successful sci-fi movie in China’s history, with box office takings of 4.66 billion yuan.
Companies across the mainland have fallen foul of the law by using stars as product ambassadors without their consent.
Li Xiang, a Hunan TV personality, has sued five companies and received a total of 140,000 yuan compensation in the past few years for such practices.
Yang Ying, better known in China by her stage name Angelababy, also sued a restaurant in Hangzhou, eastern Zhejiang province, for using her image and autograph on its website. A Beijing court heard the case in July but has not reached a verdict.
