Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi has branded website bosses "unpatriotic" for falsely accusing her of taking money for sex.

The star launched a lawsuit in 2012 against an online news site after editors wrongly alleged she was at the centre of a sex scandal. The case was eventually settled when bosses offered an unreserved apology and withdrew the false allegations.

Now the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star has hit back at the China-based website, accusing its owners of betraying her.

Ziyi tells Britain's Hello! magazine, "I feel embarrassed for the people who wrote these things as it does not present China in a very good light. Clearly, the accusations were false and I have been vindicated. They are so extreme and ridiculous, it's almost not worth commenting on.

"I feel that as Chinese that we have a responsibility to be loyal to each other and to allow the government to handle things without interference. They used the publication outside China to spread rumours. I think it is extremely unpatriotic and out of character with the spirit of my people. It wastes so much time and deflects attention from the really important issues that we face as world citizens".