Disgraced Top Actress Is Being Sued, Faces Jail Time
Zheng Shuang is an actress who has fallen from her spot as one of the most beloved celebrities in China. She made a name for herself starring in well-known dramas such as Love O2O, Meteor Shower, and Swords of Legends.
She fell from grace in 2021 after her ex-boyfriend, variety show producer Zhang Heng, accused her of abandoning their two children. They were both born via surrogacy in the United States, a practice that is illegal in China yet has a booming underground market.
Surrogacy is banned in China as it uses women’s uteruses as a tool and sells life as a commercial product.
— Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Zhang Heng took to social media platform Weibo to share his side of the story, saying he has been stranded in the United States for more than a year with their two children.
[I was left alone to] take care of and protect two young and innocent lives.
— Zhang Heng
After this scandal dropped, another one quickly followed. Zheng Shuang was accused of failing to pax taxes despite earning millions of yuan per project. For instance, she received ¥156.25 million yuan (around $21 million USD) for acting in A Chinese Ghost Story, receiving ¥2 million yuan (US$280,000) each day.
It was found that she had failed to declare a personal income of ¥191 million yuan (around $26 million), thus evading taxes worth ¥45.27 million yuan (around $6 million USD).
Because of the backlash caused by her scandals, the C-Drama that Zheng Huang had finished filming, Jade Lover, was banned from airing. The production company sued her for the loss of income, and she was forced to pay them 90.5 million yuan (around $12.5 million USD) in compensation. She also needed to pay 128 million yuan (around $17 million USD) to the company of another drama she starred in, Jue Mi Zhe.
In April 1, 2024, documents revealing Zheng Shuang’s bankruptcy were made public. It fueled allegations that she transferred her remaining assets overseas to avoid paying the production companies what she owed them.
News of her bankruptcy gained over 400 million views in just a few hours. Netizens were quick to condemn her, accusing her of purposely avoiding her punishment.
- This is 100% transferred assets. If the investigation proves true, a severe punishment is necessary.
- She has already transferred assets and never planned to repay the money.
A lawyer from Shaanxi Hengda Law Firm, Zhao Liangshan, stated that she could be violating Article 313 of the Criminal Law if it were to be proven that she refused to pay back her debts despite having the ability to do so.
This may result in her spending three years in jail if found guilty. If not, she could be put in detention or face a hefty fine.
