Once one of China’s top actresses, Zheng Shuang was permanently blacklisted in 2021. On the evening of September 18th, she quietly updated a new social media account she had recently registered, posting her latest image. To avoid having her account shut down by authorities, Zheng heavily edited her photo to the point that the public mistook her for Dilraba Dilmurat. According to Chinese media, new social media accounts created by celebrities who have been blacklisted due to scandals are under strict surveillance. Recently, Li Yifeng’s new account was blocked after just six days, even though he didn’t show his face in the photos he posted. As a result, Zheng was forced to “bend the rules” by photoshopping her image to interact with fans.
Notably, in her latest post, Zheng once again expressed her pain and despair about her current situation, saying: “Age or advice will never make someone mature or awakened. If you take the wrong path because you trust the wrong person, you will suffer, pay a heavy price, and fall into despair after placing your faith in the wrong person.” On social media, netizens speculated that Zheng was blaming her ex-boyfriend Zhang Heng for ruining her reputation and causing her current difficulties. Meanwhile, others were frustrated, feeling that Zheng was still trying to shift blame onto others and clinging to the delusion that she could return to showbiz rather than starting a new life in the US.
In late August, Zheng also garnered attention when she posted a tearful photo with a lifeless expression on her 33rd birthday. She repeatedly emphasized that “time will reveal the truth,” “the past is gone, and the future no longer exists,” and “live well and let’s meet again.” Many online users believed Zheng was merely seeking attention.
At the beginning of 2021, Zheng Shuang’s once-thriving career came crashing down after her ex-boyfriend Zhang Heng accused her of surrogacy and attempting to abort a 7-month-old fetus. She was further criticized for abandoning her twin children after they were born and for tax evasion. Zheng’s actions not only broke the law but also violated basic human ethics, leading to public outrage. Chinese authorities swiftly issued a ban, blacklisting her from the entertainment industry. Her career vanished overnight.
After being ousted from China’s entertainment industry, Zheng relocated to the US. She is currently facing multiple lawsuits back home for financial compensation. Despite repeatedly losing court cases and being ordered to compensate the plaintiffs, Zheng has yet to comply. In fact, she reportedly fled when creditors pursued her in the U.S. According to official reports, Zheng is now burdened with personal debts totaling 120 million yuan (nearly 17 million USD).
Accused of dodging debts, Zheng went online to lament that she had gone bankrupt, was living off her parents’ retirement funds, and was unable to pay her debts. “I’m out of money, broke, and heavily in debt after the scandal. I’m currently unemployed and relying on my parents’ retirement funds to survive. I never had the 230 million yuan (32 million USD) that’s being circulated online. If I had that much, I wouldn’t be living in such hardship, struggling to continue the legal fight for custody of my children with Zhang Heng due to my lack of financial resources. Every month, I have to submit financial reports to the court in the hopes of changing the custody situation,” Zheng shared about her difficult life in the US.
Due to her mounting debt, Zheng is afraid to return to China. In early July, she was placed on a blacklist of bad debtors and banned from making luxury purchases in China due to her low social credit score.
Source: K14
