Xu Kai Entangled in Gambling Scandal and Replaced; 3 Upcoming Dramas Remain on Edge

Xu Kai, the favorite actor of Yu Zheng, the producer of "Story of Yanxi Palace," was recently targeted by ex-girlfriend Xu Lisha, with a series of revelations about cheating and frequent group gambling. Although his agency issued a statement denying the allegations, on the 8th, Chen Yitao, the producer of "Well-Intended Love," revealed that the upcoming drama "Ting Feng Ling," set to start filming on the 24th, has already replaced Xu Kai. Chen Yitao also sent a message to Xu Lisha: "Sister, that's enough," adding that investors in three upcoming dramas starring Xu Kai are trembling with fear. "It's not just young girls who have bad judgment in people—even the investors really regret it."

Last month, Xu Lisha suddenly brought up the 2022 incident in which Xu Kai and his fellow actress Zhao Qing checked into a hotel together. She claimed she was Xu Kai’s girlfriend at the time and that after being betrayed, they broke up. She later posted a thousand-word long essay reconstructing the timeline of Xu Kai’s multiple affairs, as well as revealing that Xu Kai had spoken badly about several celebrities behind their backs. On the 8th, Xu Lisha struck again, working with paparazzi to expose Xu Kai's long-term history of gambling in groups, with each session winning or losing tens of thousands, amounting to more than a million RMB (about 590,000 ringgit) in a year. Notably, his luxurious house in Hengdian was even turned into a “private casino.”

Xu Lisha said she had originally wanted to give Xu Kai one last chance, hoping he would apologize to her and another ex, Da Jin, who had accused him of domestic violence, to acknowledge he had deceived and hurt these women, so they wouldn’t have to endure the abuse from his fans, and then she would leave him alone. She then reposted a lawyer’s analysis, stating that if the gambling revelations were verified by judicial authorities, Xu Kai might be held administratively or even criminally responsible, and could also face industry sanctions and commercial repercussions. If the allegations were proven to be fabricated or distorted, the whistleblower would have to bear corresponding legal liabilities. She called out Xu Kai: “You wouldn’t apologize when asked, and now one of us is going to jail.” She seems very confident in her revelations. Xu Lisha also made public chat screenshots between them, directly implicating that Xu Kai privately complained about fans celebrating his birthday, calling it “annoying,” leading many to question his true attitude towards fans.

Compared to Xu Lisha initially exposing Xu Kai’s infidelity—which infuriated Yu Zheng, who said he had reported to the police—on the 8th, when the gambling scandal and related topics trended high, Yu Zheng unusually kept silent, only releasing a legal statement through the company to deny the claims. Producer Chen Yitao wrote: “Regarding Xu Kai’s situation, it’s obvious Yu Zheng has admitted defeat. And the consequences of Xu Kai’s trending scandal got him replaced as the male lead before filming begins on the 24th.” Chen Yitao also urged Xu Lisha to let it go: "After all, it's in the past, and since you got the evidence you wanted, everything you aimed for was achieved—so that's enough, sister. Xu Lisha, you may not be afraid, but the investors of the three upcoming dramas are all trembling with fear. I’ve been blocked by Yu Zheng (meaning blacklisted by him), so I’m not afraid to offend him. It’s not just young girls who misjudge others—even investors really regret it.”