Public Apology Of Chinese Actor To His Wife Generates Tsunami Of 2 Million Comments
Chinese actor Wen Zhang has broken social media records by making a public apology to his wife for cheating on her, via Sina Weibo.
By Sadho Ram — 04 Apr 2014, 01:38 AM — Updated over 10 years ago
A Very Public Apology From An Actor To His Wife Has Become The Biggest Post Of All Time On Chinese Micro-Blogging Site Weibo
A Chinese actor's apology to his actress wife following rumors of his infidelity has set a record for comments and retweets on China's version of Twitter.
On 31 March, Chinese Celebrity Wen Zhang Publicly Posted This Apology Letter Addressing His Wife And The Public On Weibo And Netizens Soon Got Involved
Wen Zhang Is A Major Film And TV Star In China, And Has Been Married To Actress Ma Yili For Eight Years
But Recently Pictures Surfaced In Which He Appeared To Be On A Date With Another Woman, Yao Di, The Co-Star Of His Current TV Show, Naked Marriage
After His Affair Was Out, Zhang Took To Weibo To Apologise To His Wife In Public, Saying:
“I have brought this upon myself. A mistake is a mistake. This has nothing to do with anyone else. Today, I am willing to accept all the consequences. I’ve let down Ma Yili and our children. My mistake does not deserve to be forgiven, and it will be difficult for me to make amends for all the harm I’ve caused. But I want to do it. I have to do it. This is what I’ll do for the rest of my life.”
His heartfelt confession was posted along with the admission: 'the children could have had a warm and nice life, but everything was destroyed by me.'
dailymail.co.ukThe Open Nature Of His Response Resonated With Weibo Users, Provoking A Wave Of Activity
The scandal surrounding film and TV star Wen Zhang has resonated among Chinese partly because of his image as a sensitive and happily married family man, and the volume of comments underlines the relative freedom users have to focus on entertainment news online where politics is often off-limits.
It Has Now Been Shared 1.25 Million Times, And Generated Almost 2 Million Comments, BBC Reports
The figures continue to grow, and the post has become the biggest ever to appear on the network.
The topic trended above the missing Malaysian plane MH370 and a protest against a petrochemical plant in Maoming that turned violent. Censors had blocked searches relating to the Maoming protests.
Many Comments Expressed Anger Toward Zhang, Who Has More Than 52 Million Followers
Many respondents were unimpressed: "Wen Zhang deceived all of us. He gained popularity by presenting himself as a good man and a good dad. But he has now turned out to be a hypocrite," said one.
dailymail.co.uk"You have been having an affair for a year and never repented. Now you are repentant just a day after you were exposed?" another posted.
Zhand's Wife Later Responded Via Weibo, Somewhat Philosophically:
"Being in love is easy, being married is not. It is to be cherished."
Her own message prompted more than a million comments.
dailymail.co.ukExtramarital Affairs Are Not As Taboo In China As They Once Were, And Sex Scandals Provide An Outlet For Relatively Free Commentary By Ordinary People Online
Unlike political news, "entertainment news isn't restricted or censored by the authorities. From the authorities' point of view it isn't good if the public cares too much about politics, but entertainment is safe," said Zhan Jiang, a journalism professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University.
Sina Weibo said on its site Monday evening that the vast majority of people discussing Wen's post were educated women and girls aged 24 and under.
While Zhang's Tweet Broke A Record Set By Pop Singer Faye Wong In September, It Is Still Far Behind The Record 3.4 Million Retweets On Twitter Garnered By Ellen DeGeneres With Her Selfie At The Oscars
Wen's 'tweet' broke a record set by pop singer Faye Wong in September when she announced via Sina Weibo that she was getting a divorce.
dailymail.co.ukHowever, it was still far behind the record 3.4 million retweets on Twitter garnered by American chat show host Ellen DeGeneres with her selfie at the Oscars in March with stars including Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep and Kevin Spacey.
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