Chinese Actress Song Zuer Returns to the Spotlight After Tax Evasion Scandal
Chinese actress Song Zuer, who was previously accused of tax evasion by a former employee, has made a sudden public appearance after being absent for a year and a half, announcing her official comeback. On April 21, during the promotion of the newly aired drama “Untroubled Crossing” with actor Ren Jialun, Song Zuer broke away from her idol image, openly addressing her issue of having different-sized eyes.
Song Zuer and Ren Jialun star in the drama “Untroubled Crossing”, which is currently airing. Many fans have noticed that Song Zuer’s eyes appear different sizes in the drama. Speculations arose among fans that Song Zuer’s character “Banxia” might have “yin and yang eyes”, hence the discrepancy in her eyes, or it could be a plot element.
On April 21, Song Zuer and Ren Jialun attended a promotional event for “Untroubled Crossing.” In the photos and videos released from the event, Song Zuer was seen wearing a yellow shirt paired with jeans, looking radiant and greeting fans with a friendly smile. Some media outlets commented that her makeup that day was too heavy, with bold dark eyebrows, prominent blush, and lip color, making her appear older and slightly swollen-faced.
During the event, when the host mentioned Song Zuer’s mismatched eye makeup in the drama and complimented her attention to detail, Song Zuer awkwardly smiled and responded, “I just have different-sized eyes due to a natural cause, I haven’t reached the level of controlling the size of my eyes yet.”
Internet users praised Song Zuer for her honesty, with some saying, “Song Zuer is truly sincere.” Others pointed out that slight facial asymmetry is common and not worth excessive discussion.
In August 2023, Song Zuer was suddenly exposed to a tax evasion accusation of 45 million RMB by a former company employee, causing a stir and even reaching the top of the hot search list. It is noteworthy that the official Weibo account of the Chaoyang District Commission of Political and Legal Affairs in Beijing also reposted news related to Song Zuer’s tax evasion.
As the news unfolded, on September 1, 2023, netizens discovered that the official Weibo accounts of 5 satellite TV stations including Beijing TV had deleted related content. Searching “Song Zuer” yielded a message saying, “Sorry, no relevant results found.”
At that time, “Tianyancha” showed that of the 4 companies associated with Song Zuer’s real name Sun Fanqing, only Shanghai Hongquan Film and Television Culture Company remained active, while her roles as the legal representative in Xin Yi Juanjuan Film and Television Culture Studio, Changxing Xunmei Film and Television Culture Studio, and Qingdao Qiding Film and Television Culture Studio had been deregistered.
During that period, the dramas Song Zuer was involved in, such as “Bow Down,” “Difficult Manufacturing,” “Reading Class,” and “Untroubled Crossing,” were all completely banned due to the allegations.
Now, with the sudden airing of “Untroubled Crossing,” netizens have questioned the strong connections behind Song Zuer’s comeback, wondering if male actors like Deng Lun, female actors like Yuan Bingyan, or even Fan Bingbing, who faced similar tax issues, will also have the chance to return to mainland China to film.
At 26 years old, Song Zuer debuted as a child star at the age of 6, gaining recognition for dramas like “Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin” and “Qiao Family’s Children.” She was once selected as one of the “Four Little Flowers” born after 1995. During her absence of a year and a half, the other two “95 Little Flowers,” Zhao Lusi and Yu Shuxin, rose to fame, leading many fans to anticipate Song Zuer’s comeback and potential rise once again.