It has almost been 9 months since Xiao Zhan’s (肖战) AO3 controversy. After months of smear campaigns and apologies, Xiao Zhan seemed to slowly make a comeback with CCTV performances, new endorsement videos, and filming a new series. However, Xiao Zhan’s manager was trending on November 16 when rumors were circulating that Xiao Zhan’s manager, Zhang Jing (张晶), was the mastermind behind the “Xia Zhui” (下坠) fanfic that was the catalyst for the AO3 scandal.
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The conspiracy theory started out with some Xiao Zhan “fans” who were reportedly unhappy with Xiao Zhan’s staff members from his studio. So they started looking them up and one of the person’s information they found was Zhang Jing’s cell phone number. A fan was able to look up Zhang Jing’s number on Douban to find her account and discovered her name was Melody. They made the association that Zhang Jing was the author of “Xia Zhui” as the author’s name of the fanfic is “麦乐迪迪迪”, which would be pronounced as Melody-dy-dy or “mailedididi”, phonetically.
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This netizen continues to say that Zhang Jing was the mastermind behind this scheme and purposely wrote or instructed others to write a fanfic that would defame Xiao Zhan. The studio’s staff members would contact his fans to report AO3. However, this netizen’s theory alleges that Zhang Jing and the studio didn’t think the situation would get out of hand and backfire, making Xiao Zhan the enemy of the entire Chinese internet community in an elaborate self directed and self performed scheme.
Xiao Zhan’s manager responded to the claims on November 16 in two posts. The first post read: “Too foolish, too senseless! I originally didn’t want to clarify such absurd remarks. However, some netizens have twisted and fabricated rumors. They even determined it was me or someone else who wrote “Xia Zhui” based on the text and even spread rumors that the studio had a part in directing and acting this out.
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My last name is Zhang, single character, Jing. There might be hundreds of thousands of people who have the same name as me. English name is Melody, there might be over tens of thousands of people in Greater China with this name. From now on, call me Melody, Mailedi (麦乐迪), Didi, Mailede (麦乐地)…you guys are already changing my name. Only I, Zhang Jing, can use this name or else there is no way for me to cover this mess for you guys. Right now the total amount of reposts over the rumored content about me has already reached tens of thousands. It completely fulfills the criteria to file a case. I reserve the right to pursue legal action and reject spreading of rumors!”
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Zhang Jing made another post clarifying her account on Douban, saying:
“Number one, the cell phone number that was human flesh searched (the original Weibo has been deleted) is mine. I’ve used that email before. The Douban account, which has been canceled for a few years is also mine. I am currently not a Douban user.
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Number two, I’ve never registered for AO3, didn’t write stories, didn’t write ‘Xia Zhui’, didn’t instruct anyone to write ‘Xia Zhui’.
What is true is true. What’s false is false. What wasn’t done, wasn’t done.
Spreading rumors, fabricating facts, violating others’ privacies by human flesh, it’s shameless.”
I’m so lost right now, I don’t know what to believe or what to say about this anymore.
So I’ll just say one thing I think probably everyone thought while reading this:
Leave that man alone already!
I know they now found their “victim” and want to get as much from it as they possibly can.
But NO, enough is enough. People are already fed up with all this.
Go kill your free time differently, haters or whatever you want to call yourselves.
Quarantine has these people going crazy. Do they really think someone wouldn’t have thought about such a stupid plan backfiring? Anyone with a brain can tell this plan wouldn’t work but somehow these crazies think his manager decided to go with this plan. They need to leave this man alone.
fighting…! Xiao Zhan, please dont mind the harsh comment. we’re here for you. please stay safe and healthy. jiayou.! #loveyizhan.
Están desesperados por desacreditar a Xiao Zhan de cualquier forma, saben que cuando se estrenen sus próximas obras Xiao va a ser el actor mas famoso y seguido de Asia, porque es imparable y se lo merece, pero no le da de comer a los inescrupulosos. Vamos Xiao Zhan, el mejor actor y cantante del planeta en esta década.
All I can say is To our Beloved Xiao ZHan. Stay Humble as you always be but Firm. Ignore those people who are mocking you.. Keep safe ,Good luck and Healthy. God bless you and praying for more successful career and more movies and projects…
Chinese fans need to lay off. i swear, they’re always doxxing celebrities(from their country or not) for the smallest things like they’ve doxxed BTS, Blackpink, Bright Vachirawat, and now even Xiao Zhan? They’re really crazy huh?
The chinese internet community is pretty toxic. Even when Cai Xukun was on Idol Producer as a trainee the internet trolled him hard. Even before Idol producer he had lots of experience. When KUN was younger he could’ve became a member of tfboys, he was a member of SWIN-S , and when he auditioned for Idol producer he had also auditioned for meteor garden.
Why can’t they just leave Xiao Zhan and the people around him alone? Are they that stupid and out of their minds? Seriously! What the hell is wrong with people these days?! Such shameful behaviour! Shameless!
Enough it’s enough!!! Let this young actor be! ” Lord, please guard me from my friends because I can guard myself from my enemies!”
Will the bullying of Xiao Zhan ever stop? This rumor doesn’t even make sense. I hope his studios/team start suing people, playing nice almost cost him his career.
To be honest he has nothing to do with those fan fiction site. The whole scandal is stupid. Why is he getting backslash. So he’s walking around then someone writes about him and now it’s suddenly his fault?? Idiots are going to be idiots. He doesn’t need this kind of rumors to stay relevant or popular.
If I was him or the agency I’ll just ignore and let the crazy dogs bark and get on with my day.
I’m a fans of xiao zhan, please give him a peace of mind, xiao zhan didn’t do anything bad to you. why this person? just wants to be able to make his family a good life.🥺
Funny how journalists can be detained for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” in China, but people on the internet who dox and harass get away with it. I guess no-one makes money off of journalists, but lots of people (looking at you Tencent, Weibo) must make money from the online harassers.