On November 2, 2024, 30-year-old popular actress Ju Jingyi, who was born in Suining, Sichuan Province in 1994, made headlines when she announced on Weibo on June 18th that her contract with Shanghai’s “Silk Media” company had expired. She began looking for a new agency to represent her. However, on November 1, Silk Media released a statement claiming that the “supplementary agreement” signed between them and Ju Jingyi had not expired. They accused Ju Jingyi of engaging in commercial activities without permission, leading to legal action being taken against her, as well as third-party companies and brands involved in these activities.
According to Silk Media’s statement released on the morning of November 1, Ju Jingyi’s exclusive artist contract with the company had not yet expired, and they were still her sole agent. They alleged that Ju Jingyi had taken on public commercial activities without their consent, and they had initiated legal proceedings against her for breach of contract. In response, Ju Jingyi’s team stated that the SNH48 exclusive artist contract with Silk Media had indeed expired on June 18, 2024, disputing the existence of the alleged “supplementary agreement,” which they claimed was fabricated by the other party. Legal action was taken in July, including a request for handwriting analysis by the court.
The conflicting claims about the contract led to a trending hashtag on November 1 – #SilkMediaSuesJuJingyi. Later that same afternoon, another hashtag emerged – #JuJingyiAppliesforHandwritingAnalysis – both trending at number one.
Ju Jingyi rose to fame in November 2013 as a member of the SNH48 girl group and later ventured into acting, appearing in popular series like “Novoland: The Castle in the Sky,” “Legend of Yunxi,” “The Legend of White Snake,” “Arsenal Military Academy,” and “The Rebel Princess,” among others.
Reports from Chinese media outlet “Daily Economic News” highlighted the frequent contractual disputes between Silk Media and its artists. The company, founded in 2010, at its peak managed 17 idol groups. Public records reveal multiple legal disputes involving Silk Media, mainly related to unfair competition and contractual disagreements. Several former SNH48 members, including Huang Tingting, Feng Xinduo, Lin Yining, Zhang Yuge, Jin Yingyue, Yang Huiting, and Dai Meng, have been embroiled in contract disputes with the company, with over 20 individuals suing Silk Media to terminate their contracts over the past decade.
In addition to the contractual issues, Silk Media has registered multiple trademarks under Ju Jingyi’s name, covering various categories such as advertising sales, education, entertainment, daily necessities, and musical instruments. These trademarks were applied for in 2016 and 2020, subsequently registered the following year. Furthermore, the company has also secured several domain names related to Ju Jingyi.
The outcome of this legal battle between Ju Jingyi and Silk Media has attracted significant attention. There were rumors of a fashion brand inviting Ju Jingyi to attend a fashion show during Fashion Week, but after Silk Media issued a warning letter, the brand reportedly backed out. There were also reports of director Guo Jingming planning to cast Ju Jingyi in an upcoming drama “Painted Skin,” but Silk Media’s actions have cast uncertainty over the casting process for the show.