Chinese actress Jing Tian recently became embroiled in a civil property dispute with her ex “crypto tycoon” Sun Yuchen, with the controversy even involving disputes over overseas surrogacy agreements. Despite Jing Tian’s firm response, public opinion has tarnished her image, putting at risk the three completed but unreleased dramas in her hands. Rumors have it that the production team is urgently discussing the use of “AI facial replacement” technology to salvage the works.
Known as a “resource queen”, Jing Tian has been continuously active in the entertainment industry since her debut. While she used to frequently star in commercial blockbusters, in recent years she has shifted towards TV dramas and web series. Currently, she holds three completed major dramas: “Burning Box of Dragon Bones”, “Wait for Me to Wake Up”, and “Same Heart Knot”. Among them, the most anticipated is the fantasy adventure drama “Burning Box of Dragon Bones”, in which she collaborates again with actor Zhang Binbin after the success of “The Advisors Alliance”. Directed by mainland Chinese director Li Muge and featuring top-notch visual effects team, it is considered a top-tier production for Tencent Video.
According to reports from mainland media, “Burning Box of Dragon Bones” obtained online filing approval on August 14, 2026, comprising 32 episodes scheduled to be released in the fourth quarter. As this is the only approved yet unreleased inventory for Zhang Binbin, a large number of fans are urging the platform to air the show as soon as possible.
The other two dramas also hold significant importance. Including the suspense drama “Wait for Me to Be Guilty”, adapted from Ding Mo’s novel, where Jing Tian collaborates with Zhang Xincheng and challenges the role of a female prisoner for the first time; and the new drama on iQIYI, “Same Heart Knot”, starring Qu Chuxiao, which focuses on the emotional issues within original families.
Since Sun Yuchen’s legal team filed a civil lawsuit demanding over 30 million RMB as “dowry” and applied for property preservation, the controversy has even involved overseas surrogacy agreements. Some gossip bloggers revealed that production companies and broadcasting platforms are extremely concerned about the effect on scheduled broadcasts and have held emergency meetings to evaluate the contingency plan of using “facial replacement”. However, as of now, the relevant platforms and productions have not confirmed the rumors of facial replacement.
According to reports from mainland media, many experts analyzed that since the case is classified as an ordinary civil property dispute and is currently in the procedural review stage of “jurisdictional objection” in court, it has not yet reached the threshold of a criminal case or the official classification of “misconduct/disgraced artist” for redlining. Therefore, the probability of Jing Tian being directly banned is relatively low. It is speculated within the industry that the platforms are most likely to adopt a “wait-and-see” strategy by temporally delaying the original broadcast schedule to avoid commercial and sponsorship risks.
Currently, the public’s attitude is polarized. While many fans of Zhang Binbin believe that civil disputes shouldn’t affect the works and urge the platform to “first air ‘Burning Box of Dragon Bones'”, some netizens are concerned that the controversy may affect Jing Tian’s chances of returning to the frontline of filming opportunities in the future. Whether subsequent episodes can be aired on time depends mainly on the outcome of the lawsuit and the market’s endorsement.