Chinese singer Tao, formerly of the idol group EXO, whose real name is Huang Zitao, received an administrative penalty for violating traffic regulations in downtown Beijing.
According to Xinhua News Agency on the 19th, the Beijing Municipal Traffic Management Bureau received a resident’s report that Tao’s vehicle was illegally parked and launched an investigation.
The investigation found that Tao had not only violated parking rules, but also failed to register a vehicle color change within the required period after modifying it.
The case quickly spread across Chinese social media, including Weibo. In released footage, Tao was seen visiting a restaurant in downtown Beijing in a black Lamborghini convertible supercar with his wife, Xu Yiyang, and later leaving the vehicle parked illegally by the roadside, sparking controversy.
As a result, the keyword related to “Tao and his wife’s illegal supercar parking” rose to the top of Weibo’s real-time search rankings, drawing widespread attention.
As the backlash grew, Tao’s agency issued an official apology. The agency said, “Tao is deeply reflecting on his mistake, and he was questioned by traffic police early this morning and paid the fine.”
Regarding the vehicle issue, it explained, “The car was not illegally modified; only the body color was changed,” and added, “The failure to complete the registration change was due to a practical mistake by the staff member in charge.”
Tao debuted with EXO in 2012 and left the group in 2015 to continue his career in China. He began a public relationship with Xu Yiyang, a former SM Entertainment trainee, in 2020, married her in 2024, and held their wedding ceremony last year.
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.