At a recent New Year’s Eve concert, mainland Chinese actress Xie Na and her singer husband Zhang Jie performed a lively dance together, but it sparked a tsunami of public opinion criticizing her “loss of body management” and “body shape resembling an auntie.” In the face of the controversy, Xie Na posted a workout video on January 6th and responded with her usual humor and calmness: “At 44 years old, having given birth to three children, having a little belly is part of real life.”
On the New Year’s Eve stage, Xie Na wore a shiny crop top paired with high-waisted skinny pants, completing a vibrant dance with Zhang Jie. However, as a 44-year-old mother of three, her “mom butt” and the natural curves of her abdomen under the tight pants were quite noticeable on the live broadcast. Some netizens made disrespectful comments: “At 44, still trying to dance like a young girl, her body shape looks like an auntie’s.” “Her body management is poor, she doesn’t deserve to be a star.” Some even speculated that she was “pregnant again,” with some offensive comments piercing the screen like needles.
Facing the controversy, Xie Na posted a photo with Zhang Jie on social media, captioned: “The medal for giving birth three times is more precious than any six-pack.”
In the photo, Xie Na wore a loose outer garment, with a slight bump in her lower abdomen, but her smile was radiant. This post quickly garnered over a million likes, with comments from netizens like “This is the true look of a mother.” “Confidence is more touching than a perfect body shape.”
Xie Na further responded that the physical changes brought by childbirth are badges of life, not marks of shame. She admitted that as a mother of three, issues like diastasis recti and pelvic tilt are unavoidable, but she has restored her core strength through long-term exercise. The choice of wearing tight pants this time was intended by the styling team to highlight her leg lines, but the lack of fabric elasticity exposed her body’s shortcomings. She humorously self-deprecates: “Next time, I’ll have the stylist prepare a ‘mom special’ line that is both beautiful and comfortable.”
On January 6th, Xie Na posted a workout video on social media with the caption “My body,” accompanied by a clenched fist emoji, responding: “For those who are constantly criticizing from angles that make me look fat and short, put down your phones and exercise with me. I hope everyone has a healthy and sunny life in the new year.”
Some netizens interpreted Xie Na’s response as not just a crisis public relations move for a female celebrity but more like a life declaration of an ordinary mother: What’s wrong with giving birth to three children? What’s wrong with a little extra weight? A woman’s body is her own business!
Zhang Jie and the versatile Xie Na, who can act, sing, and host, got married in 2011 and have three daughters. Over the years, the couple’s frequent interactions in public have been seen as a loving couple in the entertainment industry. However, some fans expressed dissatisfaction with Xie Na’s unannounced appearance as a guest performer in the recent New Year concert, criticizing that the initial motive for buying tickets was to enjoy Zhang Jie’s musical performance, not to be “blinded” by their display of affection.
In response to some fans’ criticism, Zhang Jie spent nearly 9 minutes addressing his own situation during the concert. He said: “Apart from all of you, I also have my own family. Before having a family, I have come a long way with the person I love, maybe stumbling and receiving everyone’s blessings, but of course, there are those who may not understand or misunderstand.”
Zhang Jie further expressed that as a singer, he should sing well, but before being a singer, he wanted to be a good man. When talking about the inspiration behind the song “Beloved,” Zhang Jie said: “Because when I sing that song, what I have in mind is the person I have always loved, my Nana.” His words earned enthusiastic applause from the audience.