Brad Pitt Hints at China Trip, Creates Social Media Frenzy
Brad Pitt has issued his very first post to China's micro blogging site Sina Weibo on Monday, sparking an outpour of response on the social media platform.
The actor created a verified account on the massive service and hinted at plans to visit China in his first and only post so far.
"It is the truth," wrote Pitt. "Yup, I'm coming…"
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Within hours, the post earned Pitt over a million followers, more than 30,000 "retweets" and well over 13,000 comments on the website.
The news that Pitt may be visiting China comes as a surprise. The actor was reportedly banned from the nation since 1997 when he starred in the film "Seven Years in Tibet."
"Seven Years in Tibet" was based on the real story of Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountain climber who became a tutor to the Dalai Lama.
Pitt portrayed Harrer, and the Chinese Foreign Ministry took issue with the way the now exiled 14th Dalai Lama was depicted in the film, as well as the negative portrayal of Chinese soldiers in Tibet.
Meanwhile, "Seven Years in Tibet" director Jean-Jaques Annaud was recently welcomed to China after a years-long ban over the film, according to Yahoo News.
Other actors associated with the Dalai Lama that have been reportedly banned from China include Richard Gere, Martin Scorsese and Harrison Ford.
It is unknown if Pitt has firm plans to visit China and what purpose his visit there may serve. The actor, who recently became the face of new Chanel advertisements, may be planning a trip in order to further the Chanel No. 5 campaign, some reports have commented.
Pitt has also created a media firestorm recently over matters of his personal life. The "World War Z" star and fiancée Angelina Jolie were rumored to have gotten married at their home in France over the holidays, but have not confirmed the news.
After getting his acting start in 1992 with the film "A River Runs Through It," Pitt has become one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors.
The actor has received four Academy Award nominations and five Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one of the latter.
