74-year-old mainland Chinese veteran actress, Liu Xiaoqing, made a comeback at the Cannes Film Festival after a 45-year absence. On the red carpet, she appeared wearing a jade necklace praised by netizens as being worth “one billion in sentiment value,” sparking discussions and topping the trending list on Weibo.
Liu Xiaoqing, who has always loved jade jewelry, has a collection of top-notch pieces at home. Earlier this year, she revealed on a variety show, “All the Blooms Along the Way,” that for security reasons, she had hired a jewelry company’s bodyguard to safeguard all her cash and favorite jewelry. However, upon returning home after her performance, she discovered that “the box was empty.”
Although Liu Xiaoqing did not disclose the exact amount of her losses at that time, nor did she explain whether she reported the incident to the police for recovery, her serious expression on the show seemed to indicate that the value held in that box should not be underestimated. Therefore, when she appeared on the Cannes red carpet wearing a large jade jewelry piece, netizens who had previously sympathized with her significant loss marveled, “Liu’s family fortune is indeed substantial.”
When asked why she could win the affection of young fans in Cannes, Liu Xiaoqing stated that young people also need to absorb cultural elements from older generations. Regarding being called “Liu Mama” by young internet users, she candidly expressed that she’s not very fond of it, saying, “Since it’s already well-known, let it be, but I prefer others calling me ‘Liu Ye,'” showcasing her resilient and unyielding personality.
According to overseas sources, Liu Xiaoqing was noticed by Jiang Zemin when she visited Deng Xiaoping’s home, but she did not comply and even confronted Jiang Zemin, planting the seeds of trouble. In June 2002, she was arrested on suspicion of tax evasion and imprisoned in Qin Cheng for 422 days. Having lost all her assets, she published an autobiography titled “Starting Over in Life Without Fear.”
Since the beginning of her career, Liu Xiaoqing has been known as the “professional teenage girl” in the industry, often portraying young girl roles. Despite being in her seventies, she continues to challenge herself with multifaceted acting performances. Addressing the controversy of her alleged “acting young,” she straightforwardly said, “If actors only play themselves, then what’s the point of us actors? You can only assess if my acting is realistic, good or not, whether it brings back youth, but you cannot degrade or interfere with an actor’s professionalism.”
In response to netizens’ comments suggesting that if her house hadn’t been robbed, Liu could have had even better jade, Liu Xiaoqing calmly remarked, “Perhaps, but it’s certain that it was stolen now, what remains is even more precious. It doesn’t matter, others might need them more than me, so they can take them.”
Liu Xiaoqing previously attended the Cannes Film Festival with the movie “Little Flower” in 1980. During her current visit to Cannes, there were renewed reports in China of tax evasion against her, but this turmoil did not affect her schedule at Cannes. She released a public statement stating that she does not know the person who reported her, and the allegations were “completely malicious.” Subsequently, she calmly completed her commitments at Cannes as planned.
On May 18th, upon her return to China, Liu Xiaoqing reposted promotional materials for the popular drama series “Bending.” One netizen commented, “She’s even browsing Weibo, looks like the tax issue should be fine.”
Reports from China suggest that if the investigation confirms that Liu Xiaoqing has violated the law, she may face consequences such as scenes being deleted, the series being suspended, or AI face substitutions. Some netizens questioned the timing of the report in relation to the drama’s popularity, suspecting possible involvement of malicious competition and commercial interests at play.