During Valentine’s Day, another wave hit Chinese entertainment. Chinese singer Huang Zihongfan’s father, Sichuan Normal University professor Huang Jinzhong, was accused of involvement in a “study abroad scam,” quickly making headlines. As of the morning of the 15th, Huang Zihongfan’s studio had already issued a stern statement, denying all accusations and appointing lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against the rumormonger.
The incident originated the night of the 14th, when Weibo user “伤心swimming” publicly alleged that Huang Jinzhong leveraged his academic authority and lured students with supposed guaranteed spots through Italy’s “Turandot Program,” defrauding them of large sums. The user claimed that after their 2024 postgraduate interview, Huang Jinzhong recommended studying at Italy’s Venice Conservatory of Music, with a total payment of about 100,000 RMB (about 56,000 MYR). According to the whistleblower, after payment and traveling to Italy, they discovered that the so-called “admission letter” was merely a non-binding pre-admission document, rendering official enrollment impossible, and that many other students faced the same predicament.
In response to these online accusations, the night of the 14th, Huang Zihongfan’s studio replied stating this was “false information and malicious slander”, and that evidence had been collected to pursue legal action. By the morning of the 15th, the studio reposted a lawyer’s statement, clarifying three main points: the “admission letter” in question was only a pre-admission notice and not an official enrollment permit; transfer records showed only 10,000 RMB (about 5,655 MYR) went to Huang Jinzhong as class fees, while the remaining 90,000 RMB (about 50,000 MYR) were transferred by the student to a study abroad agency—Huang Jinzhong had no connection or prior knowledge of this agency; finally, Huang Zihongfan has sued the accuser for defamation and has initiated criminal proceedings.
Huang Zihongfan comes from a family of musicians, with both parents being university vocal professors. His personal achievements include admission to the Berklee College of Music in the US and being the first signed singer with CCTV.