Popular Chinese actress Zhao Lusi has come out to combat online negativity, while removing the number of accounts she used to follow on social media.
The 26-year-old made headlines in early 2025 when she revealed in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Jan 1 that she was a victim of physical abuse at the workplace and suffering from depression.
Zhao, who starred in Chinese dramas such as Love Like The Galaxy (2022) and Hidden Love (2023), appeared in public for the first time on Jan 25 at a promotional event in Chengdu, China. She has since resumed work gradually.
On March 20, she posted on Weibo a screenshot of a message from a netizen, who said her make-up was “ugly like that of a dog”, called her “trash” and commented “you owe your fans too much”.
While the message did not indicate what the netizen was referring to, Zhao had earlier on March 20 posted photos of herself in the March issue of Esquire China magazine, with self-applied make-up.
Zhao covered up part of the text of the netizen’s message, but some vulgarities can be made out vaguely.
“I have shown a greater appreciation for the opportunity to be able to film shows, paid more attention to the original intention of the show creators, and a greater conviction that personality and story content always come before appearance/make-up,” Zhao wrote in Chinese.
“The most basic respect is to allow everything to be as it is and let the flowers be flowers.”
Zhao also posted a photo of herself forcing a smile and an image of a page from a book. It contained a passage that said a person’s stance is sometimes coloured by his or her own opinions, and that people tend to judge the needs and problems of others based on their own perceptions, but often overlook the real needs of the other party, which leads to misjudgment.
Fans also noticed on March 20 that Zhao, who used to follow more than 230 accounts on Weibo, now follows only three. On other Chinese social media platforms, she is not following anyone on Douyin and following only one person on Xiaohongshu.
Her actions led to mixed reactions from fans, with some concerned about her mental health and others wondering if she was starting anew on social media. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
