Influencer With 19 Million Followers Faces Serious Punishment After Lying To Fans
An influencer with millions of followers is under fire for her manipulative actions.
Xu is a famous vlogger in Chinese social media site Douyin who goes by the name Thurman Mao Yi Bei. She is known for her engaging storytelling short videos which once went to far.
Last April, she and her colleague Xue faked a story about a young boy who left his homework in Paris, France. A French cleaner gave the book to the former while they were out sightseeing, saying it came from one of the restaurant toilets. The vlogger completed the unfinished numbers and promised to return it to the child.
Qin Lang, I will fly back to China immediately and bring back your homework. I easily completed it for you. No need to thank me.
— Mao Yi Bei
When she returned to Hangzhou, Eastern China, a man from the Jiangsu province spoke up online and claimed to be the uncle of the boy who did not exist. His goal was to gain attention from the public which he was able to do successfully.
Though it was clear to both parties that the story was fake, Xu continued to release a second video. She updated fans that she was eventually able to contact the boy’s mother to give the booklet back, even including fake screenshots between the two. She ended by saying, “The story has come to a happy ending.”
Unbeknownst to her, however, the police soon got involved. They revealed to the public on April 12 that the videos the influencer uploaded were fake as there were no records of a boy named Qin Lang who left the country over the winter holidays. They accused her of posting videos that had a “serious impact” on the public and gave her a so-called “administrative punishment” which is meant for those who disturb public order and lead others to “bad social consequences.”
It is not clear what her exact punishment was, but according to South China Morning Post, it ranged from a warning, a fine, a revocation of a business license, and up to 10 days detention.
After being exposed and losing 440,000 followers in 24 hours, Xu apologized for her wrongdoings. She admitted to faking the story to gain more viewers and followers. The homework book was not actually found in France but was brought there in her suitcase.
I apologize to the public. I feel deeply guilty and sorry. I call on my counterparts in this industry to learn the lessons of my case and not to fabricate or circulate fake content.
— Xu
Her account was shut down the next day.
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