Zhang Yuqi Publicly Reported by Real Name, Career Nearly Comes to a Halt

In recent years, Chinese actress Zhang Yuqi, who has been known in the entertainment industry for her “strong female lead” persona, has seen her image plummet following a series of resurfaced remarks flaunting wealth as well as accusations regarding surrogacy and involvement in extramarital affairs. With the controversy growing, it is reported that her scheduled performance on the Liaoning TV Spring Festival Gala has been entirely removed due to overwhelming public backlash.

Zhang Yuqi's comment in a livestream—“699 RMB (about MYR 394) can’t even buy a pair of socks”—shocked the internet. Soon after, more of her controversial remarks were dug up, including claiming that “diamonds under 1 carat are broken stones and worthless.” Some netizens also alleged that Zhang spends 700,000 RMB (around MYR 395,000) per month on skincare. Netizens harshly criticized her for promoting materialism and being completely out of touch with everyday life, resulting in a highly negative public image.

Since the beginning of 2024, Zhang's ex-husband Yuan Bayuan’s former wife, Ge Xiaoqian, has publicly accused her by real name, directly alleging that Zhang Yuqi was involved in surrogacy. Ge Xiaoqian released notarized documents showing that Zhang’s two children were born in July and October 2017—only three months apart—leading to suspicions of “one natural birth, one surrogacy.” In addition, Ge accused Zhang Yuqi of knowingly becoming a third party in a marriage (“zhī sān dāng sān”), and recently claimed to have been threatened by Zhang's lawyer. Zhang Yuqi’s side has yet to respond directly.

Amid the ongoing scandals, after behind-the-scenes photos of Zhang Yuqi recording for the Liaoning TV Spring Festival Gala surfaced online, numerous netizens flooded the broadcaster’s official account leaving messages to boycott her. As a result, she was reportedly removed from the lineup. Some netizens claimed that multiple media outlets, including official ones, have reported on Zhang Yuqi being publicly reported by real name, and pointed out that apart from her removal from the Liaoning Spring Festival Gala performance, her scheduled appearance at Paris Fashion Week may also have been canceled. Many business performances and advertisements have reportedly been dropped as well, and her regular variety shows seem to have pulled her out. Several posts noted that Zhang Yuqi still has not issued any statements or clarifications, and believed the incidents have truly impacted her showbiz career, expressing concern for her future.

Source: HK01 + on.cc