LayarHijau – Zhang Linghe’s studio has officially addressed a rumor claiming fans were being charged 95,000 yuan, or around $13,000, for a photo with the actor. The claim sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media and became the latest controversy surrounding Zhang Linghe following his surge in popularity after starring in Pursuit of Jade (《逐玉》).
On August 17, Zhang Linghe’s studio reposted a statement from its legal representatives firmly denying the allegation. According to the statement, the claim about paid photo opportunities was fabricated and promoted by scalpers acting on their own.
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The studio stressed that Zhang Linghe’s team has never set up or authorized any official channel offering paid photo opportunities with the actor. In other words, the alleged 95,000-yuan fee did not come from Zhang Linghe’s team.
The studio also said it would pursue legal action against those responsible for spreading the false information. The legal measures will not be limited to accounts directly spreading the rumor, but will also target accounts that use AI-generated content to fabricate and circulate defamatory claims.
However, the legal statement has not put an end to the controversy surrounding Zhang Linghe. The studio’s comment section remains flooded with criticism from some fans, who have shifted their attention to the actor’s upcoming drama project.
Some Zhang Linghe fans are currently protesting the reported plan to reunite him with Lu Yuxiao as co-stars in the upcoming drama Thorn Blossom (《刺棠》).
Their protests have gone beyond Zhang Linghe’s studio. Some fans have also targeted commercial posts featuring Lu Yuxiao, flooding the comments with messages opposing the two actors being paired together again.
Fans have also used repost sections to organize messages of protest against the reported reunion.
The backlash even prompted one of Lu Yuxiao’s brand partners to turn on its comment-filtering feature. Out of thousands of comments posted under the promotional post, only a handful of positive comments were made visible.
The controversy is unfolding even though Thorn Blossom has yet to begin filming. With some Zhang Linghe fans already voicing strong opposition at such an early stage, the production team may have to carefully consider the potential backlash before moving forward with plans to reunite Zhang Linghe and Lu Yuxiao.
For now, Zhang Linghe’s studio has taken legal action over the false claim that fans were being charged 95,000 yuan for a photo with the actor. Meanwhile, the debate over his reported reunion with Lu Yuxiao continues to play out across Chinese social media.
