A scene from Ever Since We Love starring Fan Bingbing Photo: CFP

 

A new advertisement campaign and a report in the fashion magazine Marie Claire seem to suggest Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is on the comeback road after being ordered to pay more than 800 million yuan  ($116 million) for tax evasion. Her potential comeback is sparking mixed reaction on the Chinese internet. 

A series of photos in ads by the Chinese sunglasses brand Prsr have been circulating on Sina Weibo with Fan as the model. 

"The newly released photos are for the company's 2019 series of sunglasses," an employee of the Prsr online store, who asked for anonymity, confirmed with the Global Times. "The photos featuring Fan were newly uploaded," said the employee. 

The brand's website shows Fan has been representing Prsr since 2009 and introduces Fan's achievements and their cooperation. The same advertisement is also displayed on Prsr's official e-commerce store on jd.com. 

Fashion magazine Marie Claire also reported on Friday that Hollywood star Penelope Cruz will star in an all-female spy thriller 355 with Fan, Jessica Chastain and other actresses. Rumors that Fan was to be replaced by Zhang Ziyi were denied by Zhang's agent in September.

Fan was also listed by The Beijing News on Monday as one of the Entertainers of 2018. 

Fan was fined some 880 million yuan ($128 million) in October for evading 248 million yuan in taxes. Tax authorities ordered her to pay the tax and fine by a deadline to avoid criminal charges. 

Fan's potential comeback sparked polarized reactions by netizens. Supporters welcomed her increasing public appearances, with one net user Fengbufan saying "she must have learned a lesson and will behave well hereafter." 

But many non-fans thought the economic punishment was too light for Fan, a celebrity who earns millions a year but shunned the basic responsibilities of a citizen. 

"Fan should have been sent to prison," said Weibo user "Wenzhebushangxin."

In 2002, actress Liu Xiaoqing who gained fame in 1980s was detained for 14 months for tax evasion.