Renowned mainland Chinese actor Chen Xuedong, who rose to fame for his roles in the “Tiny Times” film series, has faced a stagnation in his career due to uncontrollable external factors and collateral effects, despite having no negative scandals since his debut in 2013. Netizens have mockingly dubbed him the “Mercury Retrograde Ceiling” or the “Unluckiest Victim in Entertainment Industry”.
On September 3rd, “Chen Xuedong’s Career Luck” and “Grade One Chen Xuedong Variety Show” trended on Weibo, sparked by the news of former amateur guest Ma Haoxuan from the hit 2014 Chinese variety show “Grade One: Primary School Season” reportedly facing legal issues related to entering juvenile detention. This rumor quickly resurfaced memories and led to intense scrutiny of Chen Xuedong’s involvement, eliciting sympathy for his “collateral damage”.
In early September, anonymous chat screenshots surfaced online, alleging that Ma Haoxuan, once known as the “Stubborn Little Prince” on the show “Grade One: Primary School Season”, had been sent to juvenile detention for serious offenses. While there has been no official confirmation or validation from authoritative sources, the news created a stir among the public.
As rumors spread, netizens dug up footage from the 2014 show, where a 24-year-old Chen Xuedong served as a class teacher and Ma Haoxuan reportedly injured a classmate during a crafting class, leading to a confrontation with the injured student’s parents. Chen Xuedong was involved in the incident and ended up having a nosebleed during a heated exchange while apologizing and explaining the situation.
Netizens reminisced about the incident, expressing sympathy for Chen Xuedong and criticizing the circumstances that have adversely impacted his career. Despite his hard work and positive reputation, even the widely acclaimed “Grade One: Primary School Season” now faces the risk of removal from online platforms due to the controversy surrounding Ma Haoxuan.
As of September 4th, while there is no official confirmation of the show’s removal, discussions surrounding the topic have led to abnormalities in its search results on certain video websites. For Chen Xuedong, it seems that misfortunes continue to plague him, illustrating the Chinese saying, “When misfortune comes, it does not come alone.”
Chen Xuedong gained fame for his role as Zhou Chongguang in the “Tiny Times” series, but according to media reports, his participation in works like “To the Fore,” “Tiny Times” series, and the unaired “Nan Yanzhai Records” among others, have been affected by scandals involving fellow actors, resulting in the removal or shelving of these projects. Netizens humorously note that his major works seem to have vanished due to the turbulent nature of show business.
In addition to career setbacks, Chen Xuedong faced a severe car accident in Beijing in February 2023. His vehicle was rear-ended by a runaway truck on the Dongsi Ring Overpass, leading to significant damage to his car and critical injuries to his right leg, necessitating multiple surgeries and long recovery periods. The accident, along with subsequent complications, drastically altered his lifestyle and work commitments.
Due to the prolonged physical recovery process, rumors circulated online suggesting that Chen Xuedong had disbanded his studio and relocated to the United States. However, he clarified that he was simply focused on recuperating and denied the retirement speculations.
In June of this year, after a prolonged absence from public view, Chen Xuedong made a rare appearance at the wedding of Xu Mucheng and He Youjun in a French chateau. Despite appearing thinner and visibly affected by his leg injury, the event marked one of his few public appearances in recent years, showcasing his resilience amidst ongoing recovery challenges.
Despite facing numerous challenges, Chen Xuedong has maintained an optimistic outlook during his recovery, quashing retirement rumors with humor and engaging in self-study of AI for video content creation. While discussions around his career prospects evoke sympathy and regret from fans, there remains hope that he will overcome his string of bad luck, make a full recovery, and return with new projects.