BEIJING (SCMP): A man in the United States shared old photos of himself with Chinese actress Song Zuer on RedNote, sparking speculation of a romance between the pair that was later denied by her studio.
The 26-year-old actress and singer has 16 million followers on a popular mainland social media platform and is celebrated for her sweet looks and warm personality.
Song made her debut as a child actress in the TV series The Sea and Sky Boundless.
She gained fame in 2009 for playing a legendary anti-authority figure Nezha in the mythological drama The Prelude of Lotus Lantern.
On Jan 17, an American man, who used the name Brett Keefe online, posted on RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, about his “wonderful memories” with Song and his wish to meet her again.
He shared photos from years ago showing Song with him and his family, including one where she smiles and hugs him.
The post sparked rumours of a past romance, with one netizen asking: “Were you in a relationship?”
Keefe denied it, saying that Song was like family.
“She is like a sister to me. She loves us, and we love her,” he said.
Earlier, TikTok had been temporarily suspended in the US for several hours, leaving many users unable to access the app and calling themselves “TikTok refugees”.
US netizens have flocked to RedNote, where users from both China and overseas share information and experiences.
Keefe’s post searching for the Chinese actress went viral on mainland social media, with the related topics racking up more than 150 million views.
One online observer suggested Keefe was using the TikTok refugee trend to gain traffic: “Why wait 10 years? If she is that important, you should have reached out sooner.”
Keefe replied, saying US social media did not offer a good way to contact her.
“I do not want her money,” he added.
The same day, Song’s studio denied the romance rumours.
Her agent told Sina Entertainment the man was actually her host family’s younger brother during her time studying abroad, not an ex-boyfriend.
The agent also shared several photos of Song with the host family, showing a happy, harmonious atmosphere.
A search on RedNote by the Post revealed that Brett Keefe’s account had been deleted, and his post about searching for Song was gone. It is unclear if they have reconnected.
Many mainland netizens expressed regret over the man’s disappearance from the platform.
One wrote: “This American boy just wanted to reconnect with the Chinese sister he had so much fun with, but some rude users hurt his feelings.”
“We are really sorry! We hope you continue to trust Chinese social media. You are always welcome here,” said another.
A third person suggested that people who spread malicious rumours should face legal consequences. - South China Morning
