Police are investigating a case involving an assistant of a well-known Chinese Kung-fu actor and a popular but controversial reality TV series.

    On Saturday afternoon, a short announcement on the official Weibo account of the Chinese version of “Celebrity Splash” raised widespread concern. It said that an assistant of Shi Xiaolong drowned in an accident on the night of April 19 at the program’s training venue — the national swimming administrative center. A person claiming to be an insider said that the assistant jumped into the water from a 3-meter springboard — without informing others — when Shi and his coach were practicing on a 5-meter springboard.

    The stadium was closed the following day and the show was not aired on Saturday — and producers have not stated when it will be broadcast.

    The news quickly generated heated discussion among netizens, and many bloggers raised questions about the safety and social impact of such a TV show, saying it was shameful to aim for higher ratings by encouraging celebrities to flirt with danger. Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong wrote on his microblog: “It would win a better rating if they (the producers) ask stars to jump from buildings.”(Tan Yifan)