On May 20, the milk tea brand “Natural Dumb” endorsed by Mainland actress Guan Xiaotong, a post-90s generation star, was listed as a dishonest person subject to enforcement by the Jinniu District Court in Chengdu. According to risk information, the previously restricted “Natural Dumb” now has 12 pieces of information on persons subject to enforcement, with a total enforcement amount of 18.07 million yuan (RMB).
According to information from Tianyancha App, on May 20, the Chengdu “Natural Dumb” Catering Management Co., Ltd. was listed as a defaulter by the Jinniu District Court in Chengdu for unreasonably refusing to fulfill enforcement and reconciliation agreements, involving a dispute over a housing lease contract. Previously, the company had been enforced with 106,000 yuan for this case and was restricted from high consumption. In addition, the company has added two more pieces of information on persons subject to enforcement, with a total target of enforcement exceeding 7.89 million yuan, involving disputes over sales contracts and private lending.
Data shows that the Chengdu “Natural Dumb” Catering Management Co., Ltd. was established in August 2020, with Zhou Shihang as the legal representative and a registered capital of 5 million yuan. Guan Xiaotong’s father, Guan Shao, holds 35% of the company through Dream Heart Edge (Chengdu) Cultural Media Co., Ltd.
Risk information shows that the company currently has 12 pieces of information on persons subject to enforcement, with a total enforcement amount exceeding 18.07 million yuan.
The controversy surrounding Guan Xiaotong’s milk tea shop has been going on for 2 years. Despite her studio’s repeated clarifications that Guan Xiaotong is not involved in the operation of the milk tea shop and has no association with the controversial milk tea brand, her reputation has been significantly affected.
At the end of last year, Chinese media reported that franchisees who have consistently sought to protect their rights had previously shared court judgments mentioning the impact of star endorser Guan Xiaotong’s identity as the store manager and related promotional activities on the franchisees. They believed that Guan Xiaotong’s improper promotional activities had a certain fault in the inability to continue fulfilling the contract but was not sufficient to make Guan Xiaotong a defendant and compensate the franchisees. However, due to Guan Xiaotong’s father indirectly holding 35% of the shares of the milk tea company “Natural Dumb”, despite some claims that he has withdrawn shares, franchisees directly demanded Guan Xiaotong’s father to repay.
Coming from a family with an artistic background in Beijing, Guan Xiaotong, who debuted as a child star, was born in 1997. Her grandfather, Guan Xue, was a master of Beijing Qin and Calligraphy, and her father, Guan Shao, was a film and television actor. She began acting at the age of 4 with her father and has since had a 16-year career in the entertainment industry, starring in over 20 films and more than 60 TV dramas. She has been selected by “Southern Metropolis Entertainment Weekly” as one of the four leading actresses among the post-90s generation in Mainland China, alongside acclaimed actresses like Zhou Dongyu, Yang Zi, and the embroiled Zheng Shuang who was banned for surrogacy and tax evasion controversies.