Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao was found dead at her home in Danshui on the 4th, at the age of 86. Before her passing, her work “Plum Blossom Scar” was plagiarized by Chinese screenwriter Yu Zheng. Sharp-eyed netizens noticed that Yu Zheng’s apology statement, which took more than 6 years to release, has now disappeared from Weibo. Many people criticized Yu Zheng for his “completely insincere apology.”
Yu Zheng, who has produced mainland Chinese dramas such as “Story of Yanxi Palace” and “Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace,” was accused by Chiung Yao in 2013 of plagiarizing her novel “Plum Blossom Scar” with his work “City of Devastating Love.” In 2014, Chiung Yao took Yu Zheng to court. After court proceedings, it was determined that the plot and character relationships of “City of Devastating Love” were highly similar to “Plum Blossom Scar,” leading to the decision that Yu Zheng should cease the distribution and broadcasting of “City of Devastating Love,” issue a public apology to Chiung Yao, and pay her 5 million RMB in compensation.
After the plagiarism incident erupted, Yu Zheng was quoted as saying, “Who is Chiung Yao, why should I respond to her,” and “Chiung Yao is a ‘small character’.” It wasn’t until 6 years later, under public pressure, that Yu Zheng reluctantly published an “apology letter” on Weibo on December 31, 2020.
Following Chiung Yao’s passing, renowned mainland Chinese screenwriter Wang Hailin revealed on Weibo that Chiung Yao fell seriously ill due to the emotional distress caused by the plagiarism incident. At that time, screenwriters, directors, and film industry professionals jointly signed an open letter demanding strict punishment for Yu Zheng. Wang Hailin mentioned that Chiung Yao was moved to tears upon seeing the reports.
However, just a day after Chiung Yao’s passing, netizens noticed that Yu Zheng’s apology letter from 4 years ago on Weibo had quietly disappeared. While Yu Zheng’s Weibo settings only show posts from the past six months, searches based on the method provided by netizens still didn’t yield the apology letter.
Many netizens criticized Yu Zheng for his “completely insincere apology,” condemning him for thinking that the matter would be forgotten now that Chiung Yao has passed away. Some individuals questioned when Yu Zheng would genuinely apologize, stating, “With his personality, nothing is surprising.” There were also threats to boycott his future works.
Some netizens believe that Yu Zheng has not been affected by the plagiarism controversy and continues to make high-profile comments online, churning out new dramas one after another. Even though his previous works received poor feedback, this year’s “Ink Rain in the Clouds,” starring Wu Jinyan and Wang Xingyue, has garnered massive viewership. Therefore, industry professionals in mainland China suggest imposing more supervision, constraints, and even penalties on plagiarists.