On December 3, once again, mainland grassroots-born actor Wang Baoqiang found himself at the center of attention. An entertainment blogger revealed that there were suspicions of fraud during the contract signing process between Wang Baoqiang’s company and actors. In response to Wang Baoqiang being accused of “fraud” in different ways twice in a month, Wang Baoqiang’s lawyer stated, “Wang Baoqiang would not deceive others.”
In the video released on December 3, the entertainment blogger interviewed the family members of a young actor who signed a contract with Wang Baoqiang’s company. The family members mentioned that due to language barrier, they did not fully understand the contract, especially the clause about automatic renewal for 10 years upon contract expiration.
The leaked footage from the video came from interviews with the mother, friends, and some media of a young actor from “Eight-Cornered Cage,” directed by Wang Baoqiang himself. This film was Wang Baoqiang’s directorial debut and garnered 2.2 billion RMB at the box office after its release in July last year, drawing considerable attention in the entertainment industry.
In the video, the young actor’s mother revealed that during the contract signing with Wang Baoqiang’s company, they were not informed of the meaning of every sentence in the contract. The initial contract was for 15 years, with the first 5 years being mandatory and the subsequent 10 years automatically renewing, a point that created disagreement as they did not agree to the automatic renewal clause.
This means that Wang Baoqiang has been accused twice within a month.
On November 21 last month, mainland blogger “Puzzle Jun Jiang Xiao Yan” exposed on Weibo that “Chengdu Enbo Fighting Club” filed a report to the police accusing Wang Baoqiang and his company of fraud. The conflict stemmed from their collaboration on “Eight-Cornered Cage,” with disputes over the box office revenue split.
According to the post, an informant revealed that the club had supported the collaboration with Wang Baoqiang for five years, investing millions in manpower, material resources, and capital. Wang Baoqiang promised the club a 5% share of the box office revenue, amounting to 110 million RMB. However, despite the film grossing 2.2 billion RMB, Wang Baoqiang allegedly ignored the club and has not paid any compensation to date.
Following the revelation, the keywords “Wang Baoqiang reported for alleged fraud” immediately trended as the top hot search on Weibo. However, some netizens pointed out flaws in the accusation, emphasizing the importance of transparency in contracts and the need for proper guardianship for underage actors.
Media outlet “Jiu Pai News” reported that Wang Baoqiang’s lawyer responded to the allegations related to the well-received “Eight-Cornered Cage,” stating, “Wang Baoqiang would not deceive others.”
With the old case still awaiting legal resolution and new allegations surfacing, many netizens have expressed support for Wang Baoqiang. Some questioned the responsibility of guardians in overseeing contracts, while others stressed the importance of contract transparency and criticized using language barriers as an excuse for deception.