A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a famous Chinese actor had been besotted with him on the set of a TV series being filmed in Sydney, the actor’s lawyer told court.

Yunxiang Gao, 35, is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault in company of a woman at the luxury Shangri-La hotel in the early hours of 27 March.

Gao’s movie star wife, Xuan Dong, his mother, other Chinese supporters and reporters crowded into the New South Wales supreme court on Thursday when his barrister, John Korn, applied for bail while Gao appeared via video link from jail.

Another lawyer acting for Gao previously said the actor was not a flight risk, because it would in effect be like “Hugh Jackman committing an offence in China and fleeing”.

Gao and producer Jing Wang are accused of sexually assaulting the woman after a “wrap-up” party following the completion of filming for a TV series called Love in Aranya.

Korn said witnesses on the set, over a period of three to four days, described the woman as being besotted with Gao.

He contended that she had an “amorous” contact with Wang when the group was at a karaoke bar, but she told police she had rejected his advances before she was assaulted by both men in the hotel room.

“The question of consent is likely to be the live issue,” Korn said.

Gao’s wife, mother and other relatives had relocated from China to a Chatswood property, leased for a year at $6,000 a month, Korn said.

The actor, who was prepared to be subjected to electronic monitoring if released, was in protective custody after he was stood over by other Asian inmates because of his wealth and fame.

Referring to the possibility of his fleeing Australia, Korn said: “His fame is such that he cannot simply disappear.”



Gao’s ability to earn money in China would be reduced to zero if the sex allegations had not been dealt with in Australia, Korn said.

Yunxiang Gao’s wife Xuan Dong leaves the NSW supreme court after her husband’s bail hearing. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP

“He won’t run away, he can’t run away,” he said.

In opposing bail, prosecutor Daniel Waldmann said the consequences of being unable to earn money in China paled when compared with the consequences of being convicted.

Referring to the proposed offer of $3m in sureties, he said only one of the five people – Gao’s wife – had a close relationship with the actor.



“Why would the loss of these people’s money cause the applicant any concern?” Waldmann asked. “He has tenuous relationships at best with them.”

Lina Fu testified she was offering $1.2m as surety, as Gao was the husband of her friend and she trusted them as a family.



Bin Liu testified she was prepared to put up $200,000, saying she knew him as an acting classmate.



“I trust him, he’s a good guy, he won’t do that [flee],” she said.



Justice Lucy McCullum will deliver her decision on Friday.