Kung fu movie star Jackie Chan says he "takes responsibility" for the drug charges laid against his son, 32-year-old Jaycee Chan, in Beijing.Police detained the junior Chan, who is originally from Hong Kong and also an actor, as well as Kai Ko, a 23-year-old Taiwanese actor, during a raid on August 14 in Dongcheng district, Beijing, state media said.
Both men tested positive for marijuana.
Jackie Chan publicly addressed the incident for the first time on Wednesday evening, through messages posted on his account on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform.
The star of "Rush Hour" wrote that he felt "extremely furious" and "extremely shocked" at the news of his son's drug woes, adding that Jaycee's mother is "heartbroken."
"I hope that young people will see Jaycee as a cautionary tale and stay away from drugs," wrote Chan, who once campaigned against drug use and was named an anti-drugs ambassador in China in 2009.
"I failed to teach my son and I should also bear responsibility. Jaycee and I deeply bow in apology to society," concluded Chan on his Weibo, which has more than 23 million followers.
'Really sorry'
After detaining the young actors, police searched Jaycee Chan's apartment and found more than 100 grams of marijuana. He was also accused of "hosting others to take drugs," the state-run China Daily said. He could face three years in jail under Chinese law.
State broadcaster CCTV aired footage of Chan, his face blurred, showing police where the drugs were hidden at his home, while Ko was shown making a tearful apology.
"I very much regret what happened. I'm very sorry to those who support me, like me or even know me personally," he said. "I just want to tell them I'm really sorry. I've set the worst example, which had the most terrible influence. And this is a huge mistake."
Celebrity targets
The two actors are being seen as the targets of the capital's latest anti-drugs campaign, which has snared more than 7,000 people for using drugs since January, a 72% year-on-year increase, according to China Daily.
Celebrities are increasingly in the spotlight, with a number of high-profile arrests over drug-related incidents in recent months, including popular movie actor Zhang Mo and singer Li Daimo, who was sentenced to nine months in jail for hosting a crystal meth party at his home, according to the China Daily.
Earlier this month, dozens of management agencies representing performers in the entertainment industry signed an agreement with Beijing authorities banning drug use from the industry and pledging to sack artists who break the law.
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