On October 23, 2024, Chinese actress Zhang Yuyi, also known as Zhang Shuang, rose to fame in 2008 for her role in Stephen Chow’s sci-fi film “CJ7,” becoming known as a “star girl.” She shares twins with her ex-husband Yuan Bayuan. Recently, she has been accused of arranging for surrogacy. In the midst of this surrogacy controversy, some netizens have noticed that scenes featuring Zhang Yuyi in two variety shows have been cut, raising suspicion of a potential ban.
37-year-old Zhang Yuyi participated in the Chinese talent show “Sisters Who Make Waves” in 2020, where she successfully debuted and experienced a new peak in her career, gaining popularity for her straightforward personality. However, following accusations from Yuan Bayuan’s ex-wife Ge Xiaoqian on the 11th that Zhang Yuyi arranged for surrogacy, claiming to have surrogacy contracts and passports for two children, alleging evidence and reporting the matter to relevant authorities.
Zhang Yuyi has remained silent on the issue, refraining from any response. Though the allegations remain unconfirmed, they have already impacted her professional work.
Netizens have observed that Zhang Yuyi’s close-up shots and dialogues in the show “Weekend Friends” have disappeared, leaving only wide-angle shots that are harder to edit. While the program originally had Zhang Yuyi as one of the hosts with Yang Di, Zhao Xiaotang, Meng Jia, and Qin Xiaoxian, in the latest episode, her scenes were reduced, and she was even absent from the game segment. Similarly, in another show she appeared in, “Must Come Here,” promotional material on the official Weibo account also showed her absence.
There are speculations that the production units may be taking steps to prevent Zhang Yuyi from being labeled as a “discredited artist” due to the surrogacy accusations, potentially leading to show bans.
According to Chinese law, surrogacy is considered illegal, and those involved may be listed as “discredited artists,” resulting in a comprehensive ban on their entertainment careers. This includes removal of endorsements, participation in shows, and even potential bans on previous works.
Previously, leading actress Zheng Shuang faced a complete ban due to a surrogacy scandal. The incident stemmed from her separation from ex-husband Zhang Heng in 2021, where he publicly accused her of using surrogacy in the United States to give birth to twins, and later planned to abandon them. The surrogacy scandal was followed by further revelations of tax evasion through a “ying-yang contract,” leading to a fine of 299 million RMB by the Shanghai tax bureau.
Ge Xiaoqian’s earlier disclosures accused Zhang Yuyi of only giving birth to one of the twins she claims, alleging that the other was born through a surrogate mother, pointing out significant differences in the birth dates of the two children, demanding the release of the children’s passports.
When Zhang Yuyi gave birth to twins in 2016, rumors circulated about her using surrogacy. At the time, her agent even publicly released photos of her pregnant belly to dispel the rumors. Ge Xiaoqian’s recent allegations have once again thrust Zhang Yuyi into the spotlight. Some internet users have mentioned the disappearance of Zheng Shuang from the entertainment industry due to surrogacy scandals and hope Zhang Yuyi will promptly present strong evidence to refute the claims.