Zhang Ziyi (章子怡) has sued Hong Kong’s leading newspaper, Apple Daily, its sister weekly Next Magazine and the US-based Boxun website over reports that she prostituted herself to senior Chinese officials.

The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龍) star  presented her suit to the Hong Kong High Court on Monday, saying the reports were “seriously defamatory” and “false.”

An article in Apple Daily on May 29 cited reports on Boxun as saying that Ziyi ”is a prostitute” and had sex with disgraced top official Bo Xilai (薄熙来) and his wealthy associate Xu Ming (徐明) for money on “numerous occasions”, the court document said.

The tabloid also alleged the 33-year-old actress had sex with other top officials and “unnamed rich persons”, and had accrued a fortune worth 700 million yuan ($110 million) from these illicit liaisons over 10 years.

“The plaintiff has been subjected to public odium, hatred, contempt or ridicule,” the suit signed by the actress said, adding it would seek unspecified damages.

“The plaintiff’s 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.”

Apple Daily, a Chinese-language newspaper known for racy celebrity gossip and strong criticism of the Chinese Communist authorities, did not reply to requests for comment.

The story was removed from the newspaper’s website after Ziyi threatened to sue last month.

On the other hand, actress Fan Bingbing (范冰冰) has filed a lawsuit against famous film critic Bi Chenggong (毕成功) in Beijing on Monday over his insinuations on his microblog that she was the one who framed Ziyi’s bedroom deal scandal.

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