After being “shadow-banned” in the Chinese entertainment industry, Angelababy’s future is a matter of great concern
In late September, Angelababy traveled to France to attend Paris Fashion Week. While many expected this trip to enhance the actress’s reputation and influence, it turned out to be a storm that submerged her career.
From being one of the most sought-after entertainment stars in Cbiz, Angelababy’s reputation plummeted after allegedly watching BLACKPINK’s Lisa perform at the night club “Crazy Horse”.
A wrong movement that bears heavy consequences
Despite Crazy Horse making an announcement that Angelababy did not attend BLACKPINK’s Lisa’s performance there, the actress’ silence and photos that suggested otherwise still result in strong reactions against her.
According to Sina, whether Angelababy speaks up about the Crazy Horse incident is no longer important. The Chinese cultural management agency has given the public an answer regarding Angelababy’s reputation. The actress’s images have been removed from TV programs, and she is banned from posting on China’s most popular SNS platform Weibo. All of these movements have basically confirmed that Angelababy has violated regulations.
Commenting on the Crazy Horse scandal, Toutiao reported that both Angelababy and Jenny Zhang violated the regulations of the cultural management agency. In China, striptease shows such as ones at Crazy Horse are categorized as “vulgar performance,” and celebrities are not allowed to organize, participate, or promote content that falls into this “vulgar” realm.
Chinese audiences also did not support Angelababy and Jenny Zhang attending Lisa’s performance. They harshly criticized the actions of the two celebrities, likening their actions to encouraging young audiences to attend striptease shows and corrupting their morals.
Therefore, authorities had to penalize Angelababy and Jenny Zhang to discipline the entire industry, forcing Chinese artists to recognize their position and responsibility. As every word and action of celebrities deeply influences the audience, they need to carefully consider their actions if they do not want to taste bitterness, said the Chinese authorities and netizens as a whole.
It seems that Angelababy also realizes the seriousness of the issue and is trying to salvage the situation. After returning to China from Paris, the actress made no public appearances, but was actively engaging on social media. Her Weibo account continuously posted articles focusing on cultural and social values. However, this action did not help Angelababy.
According to QQ, the penalties for Angelababy by the authorities are relatively mild. However, the actress herself suffers from heavy consequences from the industry. With the risk of being blacklisted from the entertainment industry, all activities and projects that Angelababy participates in are indefinitely “frozen”. In addition, she is abandoned by both the audience and brands.
According to iFeng, in late October, the Chinese fashion brand Camel announced Angelababy as its ambassador, despite the actress’s scandal. Faced with intense public criticism, the brand’s promotional video which shows Angelababy only existed for a few days, then suddenly disappeared from the brand’s website.
In November, when the authorities took action to “ban” Angelababy, many brands removed advertising posters featuring her in public places. Zhejiang Satellite TV, which had worked with Angelababy for over 10 years, also promptly removed the female star from their TV show “Keep Running”.
Angelababy has been on a “forced hiatus” ever since Lisa’s “Crazy Horse” performance
Is there any hope left for Angelababy?
In February, actress Jessi Li (Chun Xia) was banned, prohibited from posting, and had her Weibo account locked. At the time, the Chinese beauty was accused of inciting student riots, and after serving her sentence, returned to normal activities.
However, Jessi Li’s reputation plummeted significantly, causing her to no longer be a name of interest in the industry. In November, a new film featuring her was released, but its box office performance was extremely bleak.
Currently, Jessi Li still has four film and television projects that are being postponed. Not only that, after returning to showbiz for over half a year, the actress has not been invited to entertainment events, appeared on magazine covers, nor represented any brand.
From Jessi Li’s case, Sina speculated that there is a chance for Angelababy to return to the Chinese showbiz in China. However, she may not be as high-profile as before.
In China, once a celebrity’s reputation has been damaged by scandal, it is very difficult for them to revive, even if they are the top of stars. After all, brands and producers all have to observe the reactions of the authorities and the public regarding the comeback of a star with a tarnished image, before daring to “use” them.
Angelababy, who seems to have realized the gravity of her situation, is said to have resorted to asking for help from her ex-husband Huang Xiaoming. According to Chinese media, the actress needs support in connections and finances, as the mainland Chinese entertainment market is her main source of income.
To prevent the risk of not being able to return smoothly, the actress even considered the option of finding work overseas. However, according to Sina, this is only a temporary solution.
If she goes abroad, with Angelababy’s current abilities, she can only work in the fashion field. With poor acting skills and a limited influence in the international market, she would find it challenging to get major career opportunities.
Therefore, QQ evaluates that Angelababy’s path to restoring her reputation in the future is not easy at all. Angelababy will have to take at least a few years or even longer to rebuild her image, consolidate public relationships, and gradually regain her position.
Source: QQ, K14
