Simu Liu, the Canadian-Chinese star who rose to fame through Marvel’s first Chinese superhero film “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” recently announced his successful engagement to his Taiwanese girlfriend, Allison, in Paris on the 11th. Allison shared a photo flaunting a massive diamond ring.
On his Instagram, Liu posted a kissing photo of their engagement, captioning it with heartfelt words: “From a weekend in Paris, a day trip to Palm Springs, long nights on set, vegetarian moments on the couch in the afternoons, and every moment we’ve shared, I will always choose you.” Allison also posted a picture of the large diamond ring, sweetly responding, “Forever together!”
In late 2022, Liu visited Taiwan with his girlfriend and friends, exploring various famous shops, Raohe Night Market, Daan Forest Park, and even traveling south to Sun Moon Lake. Allison expressed her happiness on Instagram about being able to bring her boyfriend “back home” during their trip.
“Shang-Chi,” starring Liu, is Marvel’s first film featuring a Chinese superhero. Although he was not widely known in China at the time, the involvement of Chinese stars like Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh garnered attention from many Chinese movie fans. The film’s storyline revolves around the complex father-son relationship between Liu’s character, “Shang-Chi,” and the role played by Tony Leung, “Wenwu.”
With the film receiving a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Liu’s popularity soared. However, he encountered backlash from Chinese internet users who accused him of “insulting China” and being “anti-Chinese.”
At 36 years old, during an interview for Canada’s 150th anniversary, Liu spoke about the significance of Canada to him, saying, “When I was very young, my parents would tell me stories of growing up under the rule of communism in China, where many people died of hunger, living in the third world. They felt that Canada was a place where they could live freely and create a better future for their children.”
After a portion of this interview was brought up by Chinese internet users, discussions and attacks from both supporters and detractors escalated, with some accusing Liu of forgetting his roots and denouncing him as not a “true Chinese” for advocating against the film’s release in China. However, there were mainland Chinese netizens who defended Liu and questioned the censorship by the Chinese government, asking, “What are we not allowed to see? What exactly is to be banned?”