Chinese Tech Billionaire Richard Liu Settles Sexual-Assault Case in Minnesota
HONG KONG—
Richard Liu,
the billionaire founder of Chinese e-commerce giant
JD.com Inc.,
settled a lawsuit filed against him by a former student at the University of Minnesota, ending a legal battle that had attracted widespread attention in China.
The agreement to settle came on Saturday, two days before a jury in Minneapolis was set to hear testimony to determine whether Mr. Liu raped the student,
Jingyao Liu,
in 2018. Opening statements had been scheduled for Monday. Both Mr. Liu, who is in his late 40s, and Ms. Liu, now 25 years old, were expected to testify at the civil trial.
Around midday on Sunday in China, JD.com released what it described as a joint statement from the parties, saying that they had agreed to settle the lawsuit and “set aside their differences.”
“The incident between Ms. Jingyao Liu and Mr. Richard Liu in Minnesota in 2018 resulted in a misunderstanding that has consumed substantial public attention and brought profound suffering to the parties and their families,” the statement read. Terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed.
Ms. Liu’s attorneys released an identically worded statement, adding that Ms. Liu wouldn’t comment further.
Mr. Liu released a separate statement in his own name, in which he apologized and expressed hope that his life and his work could return to normal as quickly as possible. In the statement, Mr. Liu directly addressed his wife, Zhang Zetian, who is a prominent figure on Chinese social media, thanking her for her support and forbearance. “Without her, I would not be able to survive to this day,” Mr. Liu wrote. “I wish everyone a better tomorrow!”
In August 2018, Ms. Liu alleged that Mr. Liu, a technology billionaire who is among China’s most prominent businessmen, groped her while escorting her home and raped her in her apartment after both attended an alcohol-laden group dinner at a Minneapolis restaurant. The two aren’t related.
At that time, Mr. Liu was attending an executive program at the University of Minnesota while Ms. Liu, an undergraduate student, was volunteering for the program. Mr. Liu’s company JD.com was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Mr. Liu was arrested on the evening of Aug. 31, 2018, in Minneapolis on suspicion of rape. He was released the next day. Mr. Liu has denied all wrongdoing and maintains the sex was consensual.
Ms. Liu filed a civil suit after Minneapolis prosecutors in 2018 declined to criminally charge Mr. Liu, citing insufficient evidence.
If Ms. Liu had prevailed in convincing the jury, it could have awarded her both compensatory damages covering expenses such as medical and counseling bills, and punitive damages, which are designed to punish a defendant for egregious misconduct.
Mr. Liu had largely retreated from public view. He stepped back from daily involvement at his e-commerce giant late last year and, in April of this year, Mr. Liu stepped down as chief executive officer.
—Qianwei Zhang contributed to this article.
Write to Rebecca Feng at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
HONG KONG—
Richard Liu,
the billionaire founder of Chinese e-commerce giant
JD.com Inc.,
settled a lawsuit filed against him by a former student at the University of Minnesota, ending a legal battle that had attracted widespread attention in China.
The agreement to settle came on Saturday, two days before a jury in Minneapolis was set to hear testimony to determine whether Mr. Liu raped the student,
Jingyao Liu,
in 2018. Opening statements had been scheduled for Monday. Both Mr. Liu, who is in his late 40s, and Ms. Liu, now 25 years old, were expected to testify at the civil trial.
Around midday on Sunday in China, JD.com released what it described as a joint statement from the parties, saying that they had agreed to settle the lawsuit and “set aside their differences.”
“The incident between Ms. Jingyao Liu and Mr. Richard Liu in Minnesota in 2018 resulted in a misunderstanding that has consumed substantial public attention and brought profound suffering to the parties and their families,” the statement read. Terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed.
Ms. Liu’s attorneys released an identically worded statement, adding that Ms. Liu wouldn’t comment further.
Mr. Liu released a separate statement in his own name, in which he apologized and expressed hope that his life and his work could return to normal as quickly as possible. In the statement, Mr. Liu directly addressed his wife, Zhang Zetian, who is a prominent figure on Chinese social media, thanking her for her support and forbearance. “Without her, I would not be able to survive to this day,” Mr. Liu wrote. “I wish everyone a better tomorrow!”
In August 2018, Ms. Liu alleged that Mr. Liu, a technology billionaire who is among China’s most prominent businessmen, groped her while escorting her home and raped her in her apartment after both attended an alcohol-laden group dinner at a Minneapolis restaurant. The two aren’t related.
At that time, Mr. Liu was attending an executive program at the University of Minnesota while Ms. Liu, an undergraduate student, was volunteering for the program. Mr. Liu’s company JD.com was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Mr. Liu was arrested on the evening of Aug. 31, 2018, in Minneapolis on suspicion of rape. He was released the next day. Mr. Liu has denied all wrongdoing and maintains the sex was consensual.
Ms. Liu filed a civil suit after Minneapolis prosecutors in 2018 declined to criminally charge Mr. Liu, citing insufficient evidence.
If Ms. Liu had prevailed in convincing the jury, it could have awarded her both compensatory damages covering expenses such as medical and counseling bills, and punitive damages, which are designed to punish a defendant for egregious misconduct.
Mr. Liu had largely retreated from public view. He stepped back from daily involvement at his e-commerce giant late last year and, in April of this year, Mr. Liu stepped down as chief executive officer.
—Qianwei Zhang contributed to this article.
Write to Rebecca Feng at [email protected]
Copyright ©2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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