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       Kris Wu arrives at the iHeartRadio MuchMusic Video Awards (MMVA) in Toronto, August 26, 2018.

       MARK BLINCH/Reuters

       Major brands have cut ties with Canadian-Chinese musician Kris Wu following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him, including that he allegedly plied underage girls with alcohol and assaulted them.

       Mr. Wu denied the claims against him Monday, writing in a statement that he had never tried to take advantage of his fans or use alcohol to lure women for sex. If the allegations were true, Mr. Wu said, “I would take myself to jail!”

       The scandal has sparked a wider discussion of consent and sexual exploitation online, appearing to breathe new life into China’s MeToo movement, which has often struggled in the face of conservative attitudes and government censorship.

       Under the hashtag “Girls Help Girls,” millions of messages have been posted in support of Mr. Wu’s accusers.

       “We forever back you. Women should help women,” said one widely shared post, while others encouraged victims to “please speak up.” Posts connected Mr. Wu’s case to wider issues of gender inequality in China, including previous MeToo scandals and recent attempts by the government to cut down on the number of divorces, which critics say has trapped some women in abusive marriages.

       Mr. Wu’s reckoning began when 19-year-old influencer Du Meizhu gave an interview to Chinese news portal Netease on Sunday.

       Ms. Du said she met the popstar two years ago, when she was still underage, and was pressured by him and his agent into drinking alcohol to the point that she blacked out. When she woke up, she was in Mr. Wu’s bed.

       More than two dozen women have since come forward online, according to state media. Several of the accusers are teenagers. The legal age of sexual consent in China is 14.

       The Globe and Mail cannot independently confirm any of the claims against Mr. Wu.

       In his statement, Mr. Wu denied the accusations, saying he had only met Ms. Du once, at a friend’s party where she was not drinking. He accused her of defaming him and said he would pursue legal action to defend his reputation.

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       A former member of K-pop group EXO who spent part of his childhood in Vancouver, B.C., Mr. Wu is hugely popular in China, with multiple hit albums and over 51 million followers on the Twitter-like platform Weibo.

       According to Forbes China, Mr. Wu is among the top-10 highest earning celebrities in China, but he has hemorrhaged endorsements in the wake of the accusations, with numerous brands, including Porsche, Lancome, and state broadcaster China Central Television distancing themselves from him.

       Online, Ms. Du has attracted both abuse and support. In a post on Weibo, she said she was receiving harassing phone calls and threats.

       “I’m aware that my life is already ruined, although [Kris Wu] is the only man I’ve slept with, the public already think I’m an easy woman,” Ms. Du wrote on social media, adding that although “my life is over” she did not regret coming forward.

       Nor is she the only woman speaking up about discomforting interactions with Mr. Wu. Zhang Dansan, a member of the girl group SNH48, posted screenshots of a purported chat conversation in which Mr. Wu asked if she was a virgin. She said that while she “didn’t experience any real harm … it seems that not everyone is so lucky.”

       “I want to say to everyone that if a girl feels any offence or discomfort in a conversation or relationship, she should say no,” Zhang wrote on Weibo. “Don’t give in just because of who the other person is.”

       China’s MeToo movement has previously struggled in the face of general sexual conservatism, an unwillingness by police to prosecute, and censorship and harassment of feminist organizers online.

       Li Sipan, a feminist activist and writer based in Guangzhou, said the swift reaction to the Kris Wu allegations shows however that over the years a bedrock of “solidarity and connection” has been built between women across China through the internet.

       “More and more female social media users have been paying attention to gender-based violence … and exploitation by men,” Ms. Li said, adding that the younger generation are also more willing to discuss sex generally and speak publicly about topics that would previously be considered taboo.

       “The reaction we see today might be a result of this long-term evolution.”

       One of the most prominent MeToo cases in China is that of broadcaster Zhu Jun, who was accused of sexual misconduct by his former intern, Zhou Xiaoxuan, also known as Xianzi.

       A court in Beijing began a landmark legal hearing on the case last December, amid a heavy police presence. Xianzi’s day in court attracted widespread attention online and led many to hope it might provoke wider change, but the second hearing was called off without explanation in May, and the case seems to have stalled.

       Ms. Li said that without prosecutions, the effect of MeToo cases, even involving massive celebrities, will always be somewhat limited.

       “[Wu’s] gigantic fan base enables this incident to grab a lot of public attention, but I’m not sure that anything tangible will necessarily result,” she said, adding that “if the Kris Wu case can go through the courts, it will fundamentally change the culture of chronic sexual abuse in the entertainment industry.

       “And then we can say that something good has come out of it.”

       With a report by Alexandra Li

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