An article accusing a prominent Chinese journalist and writer of rape, roiled Chinese media on Thursday, sending the public and media into another round of the #MeToo campaign and debate over who should be blamed in sexual assault cases.

In the article, the anonymous author said Zhang Wen, a veteran journalist and writer, raped her on May 15 this year. She said Zhang took her back to his tea house after she was drunk, and she remembered begging him to stop.

The author also mentioned that Zhang threatened to “take all possible measures” against her after she spoke publicly about the case in a small circle of friends in order to prevent more women from getting hurt.

A screenshot of part of the anonymous letter. /Photo via Sina Weibo

The article went viral soon after being posted online and at least five people revealed that Zhang has sexually harassed them. Some of them are celebrities, including writer Jiang Fangzhou, sports journalist Yi Xiaohe and experimental artist Wang Yanyun.

Zhang Wen was former journalist for several Chinese news outlets including China Newsweek and Oriental Outlook, and has published several books.

In the anonymous article, the author said Zhang once mentioned to her that he “has sexual relationships with over 100 girls”, and while talking with friends, she found out that Zhang has sexually harassed many other women, most of whom are “his former interns or new recruits.”

A file photo of Zhang Wen. /VCG Photo

Zhang originally denied all the charges against him through his WeChat Moments, an exclusive social network for families and friends, saying that he will seek legal measures if the author continues to defame him on the Internet.

However, Zhang later admitted to having sex with the author, who he revealed is a 27-year-old lawyer, though he denied it was against her will in a post on his Zhihu account, a Quora-like site, on Thursday morning. 

The response only outraged the public again. Many media outlets published comments, accusing Zhang for trying to manipulate the public by mentioning that his accuser had “many boyfriends during her college time, and one of them was her teacher who was married and even talked about getting a divorce for her.”

A screenshot of Jiang Fangzhou's accusation. /Photo via Sina Weibo

He also tried to fire back at Jiang and Yi.

“I’m kind of familiar with them both: Jiang Fangzhou has remained single, and has many boyfriends, while Yi Xiaohe is divorced, and is a frequenter of parties,” he wrote in the announcement.

“In the circles of media people and public intellectuals, men and women always drink while getting together at parties,” said Zhang, seemingly addressing to the charges of his sexual harassment. “We always have intimate behaviors such as embraces, kisses and hugs.”

A screenshot of Wang Yanyun's accusation. /Photo via Sina Weibo

The incident was another explosion in the so-called Chinese #MeToo campaign, which started when university students accused professors of sexual assault. 

In the last week, several prominent figures from the media and public intellectual circles have been exposed, including Lei Chuang, an activist for hepatitis patients, who admitted to sexual misconduct accusations and resigned from his post.

Zhang Wen’s denial and attempts to focus on the personal lives of his accusers has been called out on China’s Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo, where the public has criticized him for “slut-shaming” the victims. 

A screenshot of Zhang Wen's response. /Photo via Sina Weibo

The hashtag “It is rape without a yes” (translation) has topped the hot topic list on Weibo, with over 20,000 users participating in the discussion, totaling more than 53 million clicks.

The three celebrities who stood out against Zhang Wen have also encouraged other victims to speak out, with many other Chinese women sharing their own experiences of being harassed.

“To some extent, the courageous behavior of several women last night is a beginning of re-enlightenment and re-education of women’s rights,” reads a commentary published by Beijing Daily News, “They have told the public that facing the harmful and unfair treatment they have experienced is not a thing to be ashamed of, instead, it is the opening of a new future.”