China’s entertainment industry has long maintained strict control over “disgraced celebrities,” yet there are still occasional attempts to exploit loopholes for comebacks. On the 19th, state media published commentary, noting that in recent years, some controversial celebrities have been performing in third-tier and lower cities in China to make money, changing names to livestream and sell products, or even reemerging under the guise of charity, resulting in a chaotic situation of online and offline rule-breaking comebacks. The commentary stressed that disgraced celebrities must be left with “no market, no traffic.”
According to the Xinhua News Agency’s commentary, the cultural and entertainment industry is not a refuge for the unethical to profit from; such behaviors have already crossed the bottom line of public order and good morals and have polluted the cultural communication environment. The article analyzes that the key reason behind the recurring chaos is that some practitioners are driven solely by profit, certain platforms still uphold a traffic-first mentality, and discrepancies between online and offline supervision allow a few celebrities to exploit gaps in the system, shifting their activities to more closed-off grassroots markets. Meanwhile, the “fan circle culture” further fuels these unhealthy practices among certain fan communities.
The commentary said that relevant regulations are already clearly stated. The China Association of Performing Arts has defined over ten behaviors—including drug abuse and gambling—as clear bans, with specified joint sanction durations depending on the severity of the violation, as well as a strict review mechanism for comebacks. The “negative list” for entertainment practitioners is not a gray area. Rectification must not be superficial; authorities should not hastily approve comeback just by reviewing contracts or licenses. Relevant departments must strengthen regulatory gaps, implement substantive review, and industry associations should also enhance self-regulation, strictly implement joint bans, and clearly say no to illegal comebacks in order to safeguard industry order.
The article concluded resolutely that the entertainment circle is not a “refuge” for unethical profit-seekers, and only by blocking all loopholes and strictly correcting deviations so that lawbreakers and those who violate ethical standards “have no market to rely on” can positive values return to the core of cultural dissemination.
Speaking of “disgraced celebrity” case studies, Fan Bingbing is always seen as the most iconic. In 2018, she was involved in the “Yin-Yang contract” tax evasion scandal and was found by authorities to have huge tax issues involving both herself and her companies. In October of the same year, she was ordered to pay back 880 million yuan (about 510 million ringgit) in taxes, late fees, and fines, and has since virtually disappeared from China’s film industry.
In recent years, Fan Bingbing has kept a low profile by developing her career overseas, having appeared in projects in Southeast Asia, South Korea, and Hollywood. On November 22, 2025, she even won Best Actress at the 62nd Golden Horse Awards for starring in the Malaysian Chinese-language film “Mother Earth,” sparking discussion throughout the Chinese-speaking world. However, the general consensus is that even if Fan Bingbing achieves success internationally, returning to mainstream entertainment circles in China will likely remain extremely difficult.
News source: China Times News Network + Liberty Entertainment