On the evening of October 2nd, Tong Liya, one of the so-called “Four Beauties of Xinjiang” in mainland China, suddenly surged to the top of the entertainment hot search list on Weibo with the topic “Tong Liya’s divorced single status.” Since her divorce from director and actor Chen Sicheng in 2021, Tong Liya’s romantic status has been a mystery.
Tong Liya’s studio released a public apology letter on Weibo on the 2nd, stating, “Ms. Tong Liya is divorced and single, and has never engaged in any immoral behavior contrary to personal ethics. There is no such thing as ‘backstage’ and ‘privilege,’ nor any actions like restricting accounts or deleting comments.”
The incident originated from a final notice posted by the “Beijing Star Rights Law Firm” on Weibo. The notice stated that in April and August 2023, the defendant Xu publicly published multiple severe insults and defamatory posts against Tong Liya using a registered Weibo account, spreading false information about her, which infringed on her legal rights. As a result, Tong Liya filed an appeal, accusing the defendant of violating her reputation as a public figure.
The court ruled that the defendant’s actions constituted an infringement on the plaintiff’s reputation, holding the defendant accountable. By October 1st, the defendant had fulfilled the obligation to publicly issue an apology statement through the concerned Weibo account, and also completed the payment of the related compensation. The law firm posted the case number for reference.
Shortly after Tong Liya’s divorce from Chen Sicheng, rumors circulated on Weibo about her remarrying, claiming that her new partner was Shen Haixiong, a senior official at the Central Propaganda Department and the director of China Central Television, who is 16 years her senior.
As discussions among netizens escalated, Tong Liya chose to file a police report. Subsequently, keywords related to “Tong Liya remarrying” were blocked on online platforms, leaving only puns like “Wise old duck remarrying” that eventually disappeared as well.
Following this, the Beijing police announced that three suspects were administratively detained for allegedly fabricating and spreading false information about Tong Liya. Tong Liya’s studio reiterated her status as “divorced and single,” emphasizing that she had not engaged in any immoral behavior contrary to personal ethics.
Public records show that Tong Liya, born in Xinjiang in August 1983, is an actress and dancer known for works like “Ordinary World,” “My Dear Liar,” “Beijing Love Story,” “Mother of Mine,” and “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace.”
Notably, in 2021, the year of her divorce, Tong Liya starred in the film “1921,” which was hailed by Chinese official media as a “centennial gift.” Reports revealed that the film had sparse audience attendance, with some screenings having as few as 5 viewers. Despite being promoted as a key project by the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and the Central Propaganda Department, the film faced controversies prior to its release due to discrepancies in casting historical figures and scandals involving the actors.
Interestingly, Tong Liya’s studio, on October 2nd, not only emphasized her divorced and single status but also highlighted that she has no backstage privileges or favors and does not engage in account restrictions or comment deletions, while also sharing the plaintiff’s apology letter.