18 Jun – The legal knives are out as Chinese actresses Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bing Bing have filed separate lawsuits against those who had indicted their names related to a paid sex scandal with Chinese top officials.

According to Asian Bite, Zhang had filed a lawsuit to the High Court of Hong Kong, naming Apple Daily, its sister magazine Next Magazine and their respective editor-in-chiefs as the defendants for publishing reports that linked the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" starlet to have paid sex with former Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai as 'seriously defamatory' and 'false'.

The suit states that as a result of the reports, published on 29 May, Zhang 'has been subjected to public odium, hatred, contempt or ridicule' and her public image 'has also been seriously and continuously undermined which has caused and will continue to cause loss and damage to her profession and career.'

The suit is seeking an unspecified compensation for the damages and an injunction from the court to prevent the dailies from publishing 'similar words' to defame the actress.

Zhang had previously threaten to sue the Hong Kong-based daily after she sent a letter to demand that they retract the reports and published a public apology when the reports came out.

The news report had since been removed from the website of the daily but a spokesperson of Zhang had stated that the actress 'will not tolerate the recent irresponsible media rumours'.

Meanwhile, actress Fan Bing Bing has filed a lawsuit of her own against renowned Chinese film critic Bi Chenggong and a Chinese news site, for "distorting the truth, libel and damaging of her personal reputation."

Bi had insinuated Fan's involvement of masterminding the scandal to breakout in his microblog, that was reported by the Guizhou-based news site.

"Miss Fan Bingbing is determined to take legal action against the person and medium for defamation in order to protect her personal rights as a performer who should be respected and protected," said a statement by Fan's Beijing lawyers.