Actress Swept Up In Multiple Controversies In Just One Week

The past week has been turbulent for an actress who has faced a series of controversies as criticism continues to mount online.

Shen Yue is a Chinese actress, singer, and model who is best known for her leading roles in the TV series A Love So Beautiful (2017), Meteor Garden (2018), Count Your Lucky Stars (2020), and Mr. Bad (2022). In Meteor Garden, her breakout role, she played the protagonist Dong Shancai, a poor student who becomes involved with a quartet of elite male students, F4.

The first issue arose from allegations of plagiarism. An article linked to Shen Yue was accused of mirroring content from Chu Xia (Early Summer), an illustration collection by celebrated Chinese comic artist Xia Da. In response, Shen Yue’s official fan organization, Xinyue Jishibu, denied the accusations, clarifying that the actress had not authored the article and had never published it.

The situation escalated when an old video resurfaced showing Shen Yue speaking emotionally about not having enough time to visit her grandmother.

Many viewers criticized her remarks, accusing her of seeking sympathy or complaining, with some reportedly describing her statements as performative or out of touch.

These incidents follow closely on the heels of a previous online controversy involving Shen Yue and Dylan Wang after the conclusion of the reality program The Inn. During the finale, most cast members received awards that praised them, but Dylan Wang was given a joke award with wordplay in Mandarin, which many interpreted as mocking him. Dylan Wang later addressed the matter on social media, admitting it had made him uncomfortable. Shen Yue ultimately issued a public apology after her name became strongly associated with the controversy.