Rape-accused Chinese movie star Yunxiang Gao 'pushed' woman to knees, court hears

A Chinese film star denies he and a producer on his show repeatedly raped an Australian crew member in a Sydney hotel room.

Actor Yunxiang Gao pictured at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney, Monday, October 28, 2019.

Actor Yunxiang Gao pictured at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney, Monday, October 28, 2019. Source: AAP

This article contains references to rape and sexual assault.

A Chinese film actor pushed an Australian crew member onto her knees before raping her in a hotel bathroom, the woman has told a Sydney jury.

The woman said TV and film star Yunxiang Gao pulled her into the bathroom of producer Jing Wang's luxury hotel room after a wrap party for a series filmed in Sydney in March 2018.

Gao and Wang have pleaded not guilty of all charges against them, including rape and indecent assault, with their barristers telling the NSW District Court jury all acts were consensual.




The woman said after Gao pulled her to the bathroom - where Wang was sitting on the toilet smoking a cigarette - the actor stripped off her clothes and underwear.

She told Gao she was having her period.

"He didn't reply me but he pushed me down so I had to kneel," she told the jury, crying.

He then put his genitals in her mouth and moved her head back and forth, the complainant said.

"I was so scared in a horrible room with a cigarette lit at back of me, I didn't know what to do," she said.

Gao later turned her around to face Wang and told her to "get" the producer.

She says she then felt Gao place a finger in her.

"I said 'no, don't do that'," the woman said.

The crew member worked on the same series, Love in Aranya, but cannot be publicly identified for legal reasons.

CCTV footage shows the woman and Wang walking side-by-side into the hotel room, with Wang holding her laptop and bag.

She said Wang tried to kiss her in the lift and then in his room, where she'd gone in the expectation of seeing other people.

Wang then made a call on messaging app WeChat and Gao appeared at the door minutes later, she said.

The woman told the jury she had felt "a bit safer" when Gao walked into the room.

"He is always very polite and is a public figure and he got married and he has a daughter and is someone I can trust," she said

The woman had been told Gao wanted to chat, so she asked him what he wanted to talk about.

"He said 'what chat do you think we're going to have?'"

'I said 'I don't know' and he joked about my accent."

She said Wang then went to the bathroom, telling Gao words to the effect of "I'll leave (her) to you".

Gao then began kissing her, pulled her jumpsuit to her waist and then pulled her to the bathroom.

The Crown alleges the series of rapes went on for about 30 minutes before Gao left.

Wang is then accused of twice raping and twice trying to rape the woman in the following hour before CCTV shows the woman leaving the hotel room.

The jury heard earlier that before the trio arrived in the hotel room, cast and crew had attended a dinner and karaoke bar together.

In the karaoke bar, the woman says Wang sat down next to her, put his arm around her and later tried to kiss her.

Edited CCTV footage from the karaoke bar shows Wang seated next to the woman with his arm around her on several occasions over two hours.

She said having Wang's arm around her didn't "feel weird" at first but she later felt uncomfortable - getting up to go to the toilet several times in the hope someone else would sit next to him.

The trial continues.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.


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4 min read
Published 30 October 2019 3:18pm
Updated 30 October 2019 4:16pm


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