On October 19th, mainland Chinese actress Li Xiaoran announced on Weibo the end of her 11-year marriage with her producer husband, Xu Jia Ning. In the announcement, she also declared the cutting of his 21.11 million RMB debt, sending shockwaves across the Chinese entertainment industry.
In her post, Li Xiaoran wrote, “We separated last year, without entanglement or disturbance. Wishing each other well.” With no accusations or complaints, she succinctly put an end to their 11-year marriage. Simultaneously, the news of her ex-husband Xu Jia Ning being forced by the court to pay 21.11 million RMB debt also hit the hot search list, causing a sensation.
Li Xiaoran, aged 50, met Xu Jia Ning in 1998 and they bonded over their work on the TV series “Silent Separation” in 2010. They got married in June 2014 and had a castle wedding in Belgium in August 2015. They chose to remain childless throughout their marriage. Xu Jia Ning’s extravagant marriage proposal of “I’ll give you 500 million to spend as you wish” garnered attention at the time.
According to reports, Li Xiaoran spoke out at this time due to Xu Jia Ning’s recent severe financial crisis. Data from private enterprises showed that Xu Jia Ning and his associated company, “Horgos Vision Outside Yi Media,” have been added to the list of debtors with a total debt exceeding 21.11 million RMB.
Facing her ex-husband’s debt issue, Li Xiaoran displayed a decisive attitude. Business records indicated that as early as June 2025, Li Xiaoran had withdrawn from Xu Jia Ning’s company as a shareholder and resigned from her position as a director, completely severing ties, and later finalized their divorce procedures in November.
Legal experts pointed out that the multi-million debt is business-related, not from shared household expenses during their marriage, and Li Xiaoran had not been involved in the operations or signed for them, therefore, she is not obligated to assume any joint repayment responsibility.
Li Xiaoran, hailed as a powerful actress in the industry, rose to fame overnight in 2000 for her role as the elegant and tragic dancer An Qi in the series “Misty Rain like Mist, Rain, and Wind.” Since her debut in 1996, Li Xiaoran has established herself with her graceful appearance, distinctive shattered charisma, and superb acting skills, delivering outstanding performances in Republican-era dramas, period dramas, and urban emotional dramas, such as “Silent Separation,” “The Great Husband,” and “Celebrating Years,” which have become classics.
Furthermore, at the age of 50, Li Xiaoran made headlines for her participation in the music variety show “Riding the Wind 2026” (Sisters Who Make Waves 7), where her extraordinary ageless beauty repeatedly topped the popularity charts, attracting significant attention.
However, despite her success in the entertainment industry, Li Xiaoran’s personal life has been tumultuous and dramatic. She has been embroiled in controversies and personal crises, leading her to be known as an actress with a rare combination of beauty, talent, and tumultuous fate in the Chinese entertainment circle.
In 2005, while filming the TV series “Paris Story,” Li Xiaoran met the wealthy investor and aspiring entertainment mogul Sun Donghai. Their relationship took a dark turn as Sun Donghai exhibited controlling behavior and violent tendencies. In a later interview, Li Xiaoran revealed that during those years, her phone was tapped, her movements were monitored, and she was even threatened with a virus-infected needle against her throat and with scissors to disfigure her by Sun Donghai. To protect her parents and friends, Li Xiaoran had to hide for years, living in fear and shadows before finally breaking free from the abusive relationship.
After parting ways with Sun Donghai, Li Xiaoran fell in love with director Yan Po during their collaboration on the series “Shadow of Yin Dan.” However, this relationship, which was supposed to lead to marriage, turned tragic when, in June 2010, Yan Po was brutally attacked by assailants wielding knives in an underground parking lot—an act orchestrated by Sun Donghai’s associates out of revenge for Li Xiaoran leaving him.
Following the violent incident, Li Xiaoran bravely exposed her ex-partner’s misdeeds to the public. Her relationship with Yan Po lasted seven years, during which she experienced two miscarriages. Despite the challenges they faced, including the attack and other issues, their relationship ended in a breakup in 2014.
During a time of profound personal and emotional turmoil, the film and television producer Xu Jia Ning, whom Li Xiaoran had known for 16 years, became her pillar of support. Despite being perceived as Li Xiaoran’s refuge during troubled times, their marriage also reached its conclusion.
According to reports, the couple’s marital troubles were compounded by financial crises brought on by the downturn in the entertainment industry, disparities in their careers, and their decision to remain childless for many years. Particularly for Xu Jia Ning, once a prominent producer, in recent years, the projects he led significantly decreased, with almost no new productions being launched.