Former member of the Korean boy band EXO, Huang Zitao, who returned to China earlier, registered marriage with Xu Yiyang at the end of 2024. There have been multiple rumors about the couple secretly having a child after marriage, but they have never admitted to it. To everyone’s surprise, on October 15, Xu Yiyang suddenly posted a photo of the two holding a child’s hand on social media with the caption “The setting sun spreads over the sea, the people you love are by your side,” essentially announcing that they have become a family of three, sparking a flurry of discussions instantly.
Xu Yiyang shared a series of seaside photos on the 15th, with the final one showing the silhouette of the two holding a child’s hand. Although only their backs were visible in the picture, the warm atmosphere was tangible, indicating a harmonious family of three. The child, whose height is almost 180cm tall, caught the attention of many netizens and fans, who showered the family with blessings and well-wishes.
Previously, there had been continuous rumors about Huang Zitao and Xu Yiyang having a child. In July 2024, after publicly acknowledging their relationship, Huang Zitao was spotted at a maternity hospital in Los Angeles the following month, and Xu Yiyang was seen shopping for a crib and baby shoes at a furniture store in the same year in December.
In June of last year, paparazzi captured Xu Yiyang’s mother and a nanny carrying a child under 1 year old entering Huang Zitao’s underground parking lot. The couple then released a statement through their lawyer denying rumors of “surrogacy” but did not directly confirm whether they were parents.
During their wedding in October last year, a nanny was also seen with a boy of about 1 year old, who bore a striking resemblance to Huang Zitao. Furthermore, Huang Zitao had slipped during a live broadcast saying, “Spend time with family, spend time with my wife, spend time with the child…” before correcting himself to say, “Spend time with my brothers,” prompting speculation from the public. When faced with doubts about having a child, Huang Zitao once questioned in a live broadcast, “Do I look like someone with a child?” but has never given a clear answer regarding parenthood.
As recently as June this year, there were still rumors circulating about the couple giving birth in the United States. Now, with the sudden release of a family photo of three, according to reports from “Sina Entertainment,” it is confirmed that Huang Zitao and Xu Yiyang are indeed parents, as evidenced by the photo showing the couple with a son.
After Xu Yiyang posted the photo of the family of three holding hands, the reactions from netizens were mixed. Some expressed surprise, saying, “There were no signs of pregnancy during this time or even before. They are both so busy, where did they find the time to have a baby? It’s so unexpected to suddenly see a child who is now so big!” Others were puzzled by the couple’s past responses, stating, “They make a public issue known to everyone, I don’t understand why they keep denying it and then suddenly make it public.” Some criticized the credibility of celebrity statements, even speculating that the couple may have more than one child, that Xu Yiyang might have given birth in the United States, leading to an American-born baby, which conflicts with Huang Zitao’s supposed “patriotic” image.
On the other hand, some netizens held a more positive attitude, believing that since the couple are already married, whether to make their child public is their own choice.
In response to some doubts, Xu Yiyang addressed them one by one. She first stated that she and Huang Zitao only have one child and that she gave birth to the child herself through a caesarean section, with the scar in a place not visible even when wearing a bikini. She denied the surrogacy rumors, mentioning that the child is now over 2 years old, slightly taller than children of the same age. Regarding the nationality of the baby, she said, “We are both Chinese, so our child is also Chinese.”
Xu Yiyang mentioned that after giving birth to their child, Huang Zitao was eager to share the joy with everyone. However, she was not in a good mental and physical state at the time and could not bear any negative comments from netizens, so she asked him not to reveal it yet, hence the secrecy until now.