On January 1, 2026, the news broke that 24-year-old male star Ling Chao, whose real name is Li Yingchao, gained fame and debuted through participating in the talent show “Idol Trainee.” On December 30, 2025, he was reported to have assaulted a fan and smashed her phone at a high-speed rail station, sparking heated discussions. The incident, dubbed as “Ling Chao Airport Assaults Fan,” quickly trended on Weibo. In response, his management company stated that Ling Chao only snatched and threw the fan’s phone and no physical violence occurred.
According to reports from Mainland Chinese media, a video surfaced online on December 30 showing Ling Chao at Jinan East Station of the high-speed rail.
In the video, Ling Chao was being chased and photographed closely by two female fans, almost shoving their phones in his face. He pushed away one woman’s phone and suddenly grabbed her hand and hat, causing her to fall to the ground due to the imbalance. Upon witnessing this, a staff member quickly intervened, pulling Ling Chao away to prevent the situation from escalating.
In another video, a girl in a white long coat was waiting for a car at the high-speed rail station’s parking lot. When Ling Chao opened the car door, she approached to take a picture. Ling Chao suddenly got out of the car, grabbed the fan standing by the door filming, snatched her phone, threw it away, and then returned to the car. The girl tried to catch up with the car but was stopped by staff.
After the videos went viral, “Ling Chao Airport Assaults Fan” quickly rose to the top of Weibo’s trending list. Netizens had mixed reactions, with some questioning whether it was appropriate for a public figure to resort to such actions and others pointing out the extreme behavior of invasive fans. Some defended Ling Chao’s actions claiming that he was provoked by the obsessive behavior of the fans.
Responding to the uproar online, Ling Chao’s management company, “Kunyin Entertainment,” clarified that the “fans” in the video were actually “sasaeng fans” (extreme fans who intrude into artists’ private lives) who had been harassing Ling Chao for a long time. Ling Chao did seize the fan’s phone out of provocation but denied any physical altercation. Both parties are currently negotiating compensation for the damaged phone.
In subsequent reports from Mainland media, the other party involved was indeed identified as a long-time harasser and sasaeng fan of Ling Chao. However, what shocked many was the fan’s nonchalant response when asked if she was hurt, saying, “It smells good,” “It’s fragrant,” “I’m in a daze,” prompting an outcry from netizens.
In fact, Ling Chao has been involved in multiple conflicts with sasaeng fans in the past. On July 17, he similarly reacted to a fan taking close-up photos of his face by grabbing her phone and throwing it on the ground out of frustration. In October of the same year, Ling Chao expressed his grievances, claiming he was retaliated against through actions like hidden filming, spreading rumors, and distorting public opinion, urging sasaeng fans to meet in court.
Public records show that Ling Chao, whose real name is Li Yingchao, was born in Hebei in January 2001. He is a male pop singer and a member of the boy group ONER. He graduated from the Shanghai Theatre Academy’s 2019 class of Drama and Film Acting. In 2018, he rose to fame after participating in the talent show “Idol Trainee” and debuted with the boy group “ONER” the same year.