On June 24th, the popular Chinese TV drama series “Chang’an’s Lychee,” starring mainland actress Nal Naxi, was suddenly pulled off the air by Jiangsu Satellite TV due to revelations of falsified information in her college entrance examination registration in her early years. Netizens reacted strongly to the news, with some expressing shock at the scandal surrounding Nal Naxi and the impact it could have on her career.
The evening of June 24th saw a surprising announcement from Jiangsu Satellite TV that “Chang’an’s Lychee” would not be aired as scheduled. Instead, a last-minute movie was shown on TV screens, and all promotional materials for the drama were swiftly removed from the official Weibo account, as if the series had never existed. The following day, Jiangsu Satellite TV replaced the time slot with other TV shows.
According to reports from various Chinese media outlets, the controversy surrounding Nal Naxi stemmed from allegations of her using connections to gain unfair advantage in the college entrance examination, along with questions raised about her father’s background at CCTV, the state broadcaster. Prior to the scandal, Nal Naxi was enjoying popularity due to her roles in dramas such as “A God Among Gods Part 2.”
Netizens delved deeper into Nal Naxi’s background and uncovered discrepancies, including her attending a prestigious school in Beijing but taking the college entrance exam as a student from Inner Mongolia. Furthermore, her remarks on a variety show last year about being a “targeted student” and not returning to work in Inner Mongolia after graduation, instead studying in Norway, became a focal point of public outrage right before the college entrance exam period.
On the evening of June 21st, Inner Mongolia authorities released a statement accusing Nal Naxi of multiple violations, including suspicions of fabricating information in her college entrance exam registration in 2008 as a graduate from Hohhot No. 8 Middle School, despite no record of her enrollment or academic history at the school. Additionally, she was found to have been accepted into the Shanghai Theatre Academy through a special program but failed to fulfill the obligations associated with it after graduation, constituting a breach of contract.
The backlash was immediate.
By the evening of June 22nd, sharp-eyed viewers noticed that Nal Naxi’s name had been removed from the cast list of “Chang’an’s Lychee” on CCTV 8. Jiangsu Satellite TV’s decision to pull the drama series was swift, with a movie hastily replacing the scheduled broadcast on June 24th, and the announcement that the series “Book of Dreams” would take its place starting on the afternoon of June 25th.
The transition from the confirmation to the cancellation of “Chang’an’s Lychee” took only one week, and from the escalation of public opinion to Nal Naxi’s disappearance, less than 72 hours had passed.
Additionally, on ticketing platforms such as “Maoyan” and “Taopiaopiao,” Nal Naxi’s name has also been removed from the cast and crew list of the movie “The Archer: Desert Wind,” leaving her character “Ayuya” tagged as “to be confirmed.” Information indicates that this historical drama, which has completed filming but not yet premiered, stars action star Wu Jing and had an investment exceeding 550 million RMB. Removing Nal Naxi’s scenes throughout the movie, whether through reshooting or AI technology, would require significant financial resources and time.
Nal Naxi rose to fame for her role in the film series “Gods of War Trilogy,” with the third installment already completed and in post-production. The future of her career is bound to be affected by the scandal. Additionally, the production companies behind her upcoming projects, including the TV dramas “Long Street,” “Song of Cloud River,” and “At the Break of Dawn,” have released statements indicating that they will reassess their collaboration with her.