Chinese actress Zhao Lusi had a falling out with her agency, 'Galaxy Cool Entertainment', at the end of last year. Without any acting projects, she even faced the possibility of having to pay a sky-high penalty of 1.6 billion yuan for breach of contract. Just as many thought Zhao Lusi's acting career was over, on the 8th of this month she suddenly announced the establishment of a new studio and signed with 'Orca Entertainment' under Alibaba. With new financial backing, she successfully broke free from Galaxy Cool Entertainment. Having lost their cash cow, Zhao Lusi, Galaxy Cool Entertainment is now reportedly in dire straits—with Chinese media reporting today (14th) that multiple shareholders have withdrawn and the company is on the verge of bankruptcy.
The misfortunes at Galaxy Cool Entertainment stem mainly from Zhao Lusi's departure. As the core actress under the agency, Zhao Lusi contributed to over 80% of the company’s revenue. Now that she has moved to Orca Entertainment, Galaxy Cool Entertainment has suffered a heavy blow. With no other popular stars to support its operations, shareholders have little confidence in the company's future, leading many to withdraw.
Looking back at Zhao Lusi's dispute with Galaxy Cool Entertainment: in December last year, while filming the TV drama 'Lover', she suffered from aphasia and depression, causing her to suspend work. After a break, at New Year's she posted online, stating that she was verbally bullied and even physically assaulted by executives at the company—though this matter went unresolved. Zhao Lusi was subsequently sidelined by the company, and only reappeared this August to make another post publicly falling out with Galaxy Cool Entertainment.
Zhao Lusi stated that the agency required her to pay the breach of contract penalty herself for the suspension, yet was unwilling to terminate the contract or negotiate, resulting in a very ugly scene. But at this critical moment, the drama 'Shining For You', which Zhao Lusi had already filmed with William Chan, was suddenly released on Tencent and Netflix—with zero prior promotion. Despite the lack of publicity, 'Shining For You' managed to climb in viewership ratings. Zhao Lusi's fashion and style in the show even sparked trends and imitation among fans, showcasing her influence to potential investors. This prompted her financial backers to step in to mediate the dispute between Zhao Lusi and Galaxy Cool Entertainment, allowing her to continue acting.
Having gone through all these ups and downs, Zhao Lusi was deeply moved. At her birthday party on the 8th of this month, besides announcing the establishment of her new studio, she was brought to tears as she said emotionally: 'Just two months ago, I really thought I might never be able to act again. It was you all who made me realize that even if I get sick, it's not that big a deal—I can still do what I want to do.' She thanked her fans for their continuous support and successfully made a beautiful comeback.
Source: NowNews