POPULAR Chinese actor Huang Haibo, who spent six months in a detention center after being caught having sex with a prostitute, was released, Beijing police confirmed yesterday.

    Beijing police detained the 38-year-old actor May 15 after receiving a tip-off and catching Huang with the prostitute in a hotel in the capital city.

    With the nation’s broadcasting authorities issuing a ban on “tainted talents” — including those who use drugs and visit prostitutes — at the end of September, Huang may face problems in continuing his acting career.

    An insider said Huang was in good condition while in detention. “He spent a lot of time reading books on history,” the insider said.

    Huang’s detention drew a lot of discussion at the time. Although some netizens said they were disgusted by Huang’s behavior, many voiced support for the actor.

    Jiang Ping, a famed professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, said it was unfair to detain Huang for 15 days and then send him behind bars for six months. “The detention education system is from the past and its usefulness has expired. There should be new solutions,” he was quoted as saying in an interview.

    Huang was a leading actor in a number of popular TV series, including “A Beautiful Daughter-in-law Era,” a comedy about a modern Chinese couple.(Li Dan)

    (SD-Agencies)