On December 11, 2025, the renowned painter and calligrapher Fan Zeng made a sudden announcement on Weibo, declaring that he and his current wife, Xu Meng, have welcomed a “beloved son” and at the same time severed all ties with his daughter Fan Xiaohui and stepson Fan Zhongda.
Fan Zeng, who is 87 years old, shared on Weibo, “My wife, Mrs. Xu Meng, and I recently welcomed a beloved son. How fortunate we are! From now on, the three of us will live together and have moved into a new home to spend the rest of our lives in comfort.”
“In light of my advanced age, since marrying my beloved wife, Mrs. Xu, most of my affairs have been entrusted to her. Starting today, all public and private matters related to me will be solely handled by my wife, Mrs. Xu Meng, and no one else is authorized to interfere.”
Fan Zeng further stated that individuals have falsely claimed to be his children, using the pretext of “seeking and caring” for him, spreading malicious lies and slandering both him and his wife. Additionally, others under the guise of “Fan Zeng’s children” have posed as protectors, directly or indirectly jeopardizing the safety of the family of three and disrupting their lives.
Therefore, as of today, he has cut off all ties with Fan Xiaohui, Fan Zhongda, their families, and any companies or entities associated with them in terms of shareholding, management, operations, or any form of collaboration.
According to a report by The Paper on December 11, prior to the public statement, Fan Zeng had participated in donating calligraphy and paintings at an event in Beijing. During an interview at the event, he mentioned that he recently had a son and moved to a new home, entrusting all household matters to Xu Meng due to his old age.
A lawyer in Beijing expressed on social media that a father unilaterally declaring the severance of ties with adult children does not hold legal weight. Children are still obligated to provide for their father and have inheritance rights to his estate. Essentially, Fan Zeng’s announcement is regarded as mere words and does not affect legal rights and obligations.
Fan Zeng announced his marriage to Xu Meng, who was 35 at the time, on April 10, 2024.
On July 13 of this year, according to a family employee, Xu Meng left the family estate with Fan Zeng, taking away all household items.
On August 16, Fan Zeng’s daughter, Fan Xiaohui, responded to rumors about the 87-year-old painting master being controlled by his 37-year-old wife, Xu Meng. She shared screenshots of WeChat conversations with friends, revealing that her father had been taken away by Xu Meng, the residence was sealed off, valuables were removed, some old staff members were dismissed, and Xu Meng had threatened employees not to divulge information.
As reported by Caijing on August 16, late at night, an account on Xiaohongshu (RED) named “Fan Yifu” posted three photos of Fan Zeng visiting an art exhibition with the caption “The old master is at the art exhibition.” The time of the exhibition was not specified, and the location was indicated as France, considered a response to the rumors surrounding Fan Zeng.
Public records show that Fan Zeng was born on July 5, 1938, and had four marriages. In 1963, he married his fellow student Lin Xiu, a poet and calligrapher, which lasted only five years. In 1971, Fan Zeng married Bian Baohua, who had a daughter from a previous marriage, and together they had a daughter named Fan Xiaohui.
In 1993, Fan Zeng divorced Bian Baohua and married Zhang Guiyun (Nanli), with whom he had been in a 10-year relationship in Paris. Zhang Guiyun had two sons and a daughter from her previous marriage, who subsequently took on Fan Zeng’s surname. Zhang Guiyun passed away in 2021.