Zhao Lusi revived her career last year with 'Glow Up', and just this year alone, she has landed 18 new brand endorsements—double Ju Jingyi's, triple Dilireba's, and six times more than Esther Yu's—topping all Chinese drama actresses. However, she has been unable to join a new production team. Reports say she has repeatedly lost out on several film and TV roles because after the mid-shoot suspension of 'Lover', drama crews now require her to sign a risk liability agreement in advance. The agreement states that if filming is halted due to the artist's personal reasons, all losses are to be borne by the artist. Zhao Lusi has been unwilling to sign such agreements, causing her acting invitations to fall through at the last minute.
Back in late 2022, during the filming of 'Lover', she was made to suffer by being given a so-called 'yin-yang script' and was even maliciously given additional intimate scenes, which left her so upset she was hospitalized to recover. The crew subsequently disbanded and 'Lover' was shut down unfinished. The following year, she also became embroiled in a contract dispute with her former agency, Galaxy Kukeyu, sending her career into a slump. Her fortunes turned when 'Glow Up'—co-starring William Chan—was released to huge popularity online, reviving her fame and allowing her to successfully part ways with her agency and start her own studio in partnership with Orca Entertainment.
It is reported, however, that Zhao Lusi still needs to make money to pay her penalty to her former agency. Besides holding concerts, she is aggressively taking on brand endorsements to raise funds! According to media statistics on six top traffic actresses—Zhao Lusi, Ju Jingyi, Dilireba, Bai Lu, Yang Zi, and Esther Yu—and their new or upgraded business endorsements for 2026, Zhao Lusi has a total of 18 endorsements, all of which designate her as global brand ambassador, putting her at a clear lead and highlighting her high commercial value.
Unfortunately, despite Zhao Lusi's strong comeback, she has not been on set for a year and a half. Her new drama 'Be As Beautiful As You Want' was scheduled to start filming in August, but because she requested a complete script, she recently admitted during a livestream that she still hasn't received the revised script: "(They) are revising it—I don't know what they're doing, anyway, I haven't been given the script yet." Whether she will be able to start filming on schedule thus remains uncertain.
The drama industry is abuzz, and although insiders say Zhao Lusi does not pose a cooperation risk, in the current entertainment industry cold winter, investors fear repeating the financial losses seen with 'Lover'. In addition, her physical and mental state is unpredictable, so every crew negotiating with her requires her to sign a risk liability agreement. This stipulates that if shooting halts due to personal reasons, the artist alone bears all associated losses. She firmly refuses to sign this 'Zhao Lusi Clause', causing a number of projects to fall through. Instead of relying on capital, Zhao Lusi is using her studio to launch an original script solicitation drive, hoping to independently produce her own projects. Fans can only wait patiently for good news.
Rumors of Helping a Bankrupt Actress
Additionally, 39-year-old 'Glow Up' actress Zhu Rui recently revealed that she lost her life savings due to blindly investing in stocks and, with no money left, is now living off her parents. She posted a stock trading diary via Weibo to warn others and declared that she has no intention of relying on livestreaming or building a personal brand to stage a comeback. Fortunately, a loyal friend has come to her aid, offering her a job opportunity during her low point. Netizens speculate that this good Samaritan is Zhao Lusi, but this remains unconfirmed. #
News Sources: Up Media + United Daily News