The two male leads, Tian Xuning and Ziyu, who shot to fame by starring in the Chinese BL drama 'Counter-Love', have shockingly been blacklisted by the entertainment circle! Some say that it's due to Tian Xuning's recent spate of scandals—rumors of cheating on four women have been trending daily, leading to negative public perception—but industry analysis points to the real reason: the two have become too popular, attracting attention from authorities.
Statistics show that over the past month, there have been more than 500 trending topics about Tian Xuning and Ziyu, surpassing even Liu Yuning of 'Scroll of Dreams' and Xiao Zhan of 'Tibetan Sea Chronicle'—so much so that officials have noticed this BL drama, seeing it as stepping on the red line of the boy's love ban, which led to their banishment.
To circumvent the Chinese Broadcasting Administration's BL ban, 'Counter-Love' adopted an "around the mainland" strategy for airing, meaning it aired in countries or regions bordering China's coastline. As a result, Chinese superfans scaled the firewall to watch, causing an unprecedented drama-viewing craze. The currently airing summer hits in China, such as 'Scroll of Dreams', 'Glorious Splendors', and 'Peach Blossom Reflects the River and Mountains', have all been surpassed in buzz by this gay BL drama.
The two male leads, Tian Xuning and Ziyu, skyrocketed to fame together, with topics about the pair constantly dominating Weibo hot searches and fans increasing by millions overnight. However, rumors have recently exploded that the two are facing a blacklist: Tian Xuning's new drama 'A Day in July' saw him replaced, previously recorded appearances on the variety show 'Hello, Saturday' were also deleted, Ziyu's short-term endorsements halted, and an upcoming 'Hello, Saturday' taping was suddenly canceled, leaving fans on edge.
Some say that the wave of negative news about Tian Xuning has tainted public perception, leading to the ban—especially his complicated love life. First it was rumored he had a child out of wedlock (which he denied), then influencers Susu, Ruoruo, Junjun, and web-drama actress Fujize Wen all accused him of having romantic involvement, some even suspecting infidelity. Though unproven, his image has taken a significant hit.
After several days of silence, he responded on the 11th: once again emphasizing that he is single and has never married or had children and apologized for the personal matters taking up public attention and causing misunderstandings. He also stated that his legal team has been entrusted to deal with ongoing false rumors.
But industry insiders believe the real reason for the ban is that 'Counter-Love' made Tian Xuning and Ziyu too popular, stirring official intervention due to their overwhelming popularity.
News source: Up Media Entertainment