Former Taiwanese actor Lee Wei pleads not guilty, testifies in murder case—report

Former Taiwanese actor Lee Wei has reportedly pleaded not guilty in the murder case of a woman tied to a Buddhist group to which he and his wife belong.

According to a report by AsiaOne, Lee appeared in court on Oct. 14 and testified about the alleged abuse of the victim named Tsai, before her death in July 2024.

A day before her death, the religious group held a meeting where Tsai was berated and was "publicly humiliated" in front of the other group members for allegedly mishandling the finances of Wang Yun, the group's leader. She was reportedly "forced to do half-prostrations and kneel, beaten and dragged on the floor, which left Tsai hitting her head on the ground."

Autopsy reports discovered that Tsai died of rhabdomyolysis, a "life-threatening condition that can happen after an injury or excessive exercise without rest." It is also considered a "rare muscle injury" where an individual's muscles break down. 

The 44-year-old actor claimed that while he was present during the abuse, he did not personally harm Tsai. He also claimed that he had told Tsai to "Just apologize and everything will be fine," hoping that Tsai would be allowed to leave and go home.

For their part, Tsai's family, through their lawyer, condemned the incident, criticizing Lee for not alerting the authorities and convincing other members to stop the abuse, per AsiaOne.

The lawyer said they have yet to receive an apology from Lee and the other 12 defendants. 

In February, Lee and his wife were reclassified from witnesses to suspects following the death of Tsai. Local authorities said that Lee, Wu, and a woman named Chiang were allegedly seen moving Tsai's body in a trolley from the restaurant to their usual meeting spot, leaving it there without contacting emergency services.

Lee gained prominence after starring in the 2001 Taiwanese romantic comedy television series Toast Boy's Kiss. He also played a role in various TV series, including Spicy Teacher, Sweet Lemon, and Singles Dormitory, among others. 

He debuted as a singer in 2000 as part of the Taiwanese pop duo Wewe. 

He left the entertainment industry when COVID-19 hit and became a "devout follower" of Buddhism.