Popular Chinese actress Zhao Lusi has appeared in public for the first time since she dropped a bombshell revelation on Jan 1. She said she had been struggling with depression and other mental and physical health issues after suffering workplace abuse in the past.
The 26-year-old showed up in Chengdu, China, on Jan 25 at a promotional event for Chinese beverage brand Viee. In videos taken by fans, Zhao could be seen in a red outfit with black stockings and using a walking stick to support herself.
At the event, which was live-streamed on Chinese social media, Zhao reassured fans that she has been well.
The star of series such as The Romance Of Tiger And Rose (2020) and Love Like The Galaxy (2022) said: “I wanted to tell those who care about me that I’m safe and sound before Chinese New Year.
“I saw many fans of mine cry and burst into tears today, and my heart aches at the sight. Please don’t cry any more. I feel that as an artiste, the power that I can bring to my fans is this: Look at how well I’m recovering.
“I hope that everyone can take (mental health issues) seriously and don’t wait to treat them only when they become something severe.”
She did an interview with Chengdu-based online media Hong Xing News on the day of the event. She said she suffers from dissociative disorder, which typically develops as a response to trauma and often occurs with depression – a condition Zhao had said she suffers from.
She told Hong Xing News: “When you feel like you’re in danger, you’re stressed and you’re unwell, you should say, ‘I’m sick.’ You should protect yourself.”
She said she used to see being easy to get along with as an important trait to have, and often endured situations she did not like. But after her mental health struggles, she has started to draw boundaries to protect herself.
“I now know that the person I should love the most is myself,” she said.
Rumours about Zhao’s ill health started surfacing in December, after fans saw her in a wheelchair. Her studio later said she was taken to hospital due to ill health, but did not elaborate.
Zhao eventually posted a video on Jan 1, which showed clips and pictures of her in hospital and in a wheelchair, seemingly struggling to walk and eat.
She revealed on Weibo that she had been suffering from mental and physical health problems, and accused a former supervisor at work – whom she did not name – of physically and verbally abusing her. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
