Action film star Jackie Chan has angered many of his fans with his comments about Chinese democracy at a business forum for state officials, scholars and businessmen: “If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now. It's very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic. I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled.”   Chan's spokesperson tried to contain the damage by saying that the comments were taken out of context, and that Chan was referring to only the freedom of the Chinese entertainment industry, not Chinese society as a whole

His comments have ignited a huge backlash, with fans threatening to boycott his upcoming concert in China's iconic '”Bird’s Nest” and his new movie Shinjuku Incident.  His fans in his hometown of Hong Kong are demanding that he be relieved of his position as Hong Kong’s tourism ambassador.  His Taiwanese fans are threatening to boycott all things Jackie Chan, even asking that he be banned from the island. 

This isn't the first time Jackie Chan's political comments have gotten him in trouble.  Although he spoke out against the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, he has become friendlier toward the Chinese authoritarian government in recent years.  In 2004, following the attempted assassination of Taiwanese President Chen Shui Bian during his re-election campaign, Chan called Taiwan's election “the biggest joke in the world.”  That comment sparked protests against him all over Taiwan and he avoided the island for four years.