Domestic violence in China: a ‘private matter’ exposed after make-up vlogger speaks out

He Yuhong’s ex-boyfriend has been detained and a court granted a restraining order against him after she went public with claims he abused her

Tens of millions of women in the country are estimated to suffer domestic violence, but very few come forward

Reading Time:4 minutes

Make-up vlogger He Yuhong has more than 2 million followers on video app TikTok. Photo: Weibo

Published: 11:00am, 7 Dec 2019Updated: 4:05pm, 13 Dec 2019

When a popular Chinese make-up vlogger went public last week with claims that her former boyfriend physically abused her, it got people talking about domestic violence in China – and highlighted the slow progress in tackling the issue.

Police in the southwestern city of Chongqing began investigating after 28-year-old He Yuhong posted a video and details of the allegations against her former partner online on November 25 – the UN’s International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women.

He, who is known online as Yuyamika, uses make-up to transform herself into celebrities and figures like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. She has more than 2 million followers on video app TikTok.

She alleged her ex-boyfriend, Chen Hong, had repeatedly abused her during their one-year relationship and posted screenshots of text messages, surveillance camera footage and testimony from his two former wives to back up her case.

Two days later, a court granted a restraining order against Chen, a 44-year-old illustrator, and he has been detained for 20 days for assaulting He, according to Chongqing police.

He Yuhong, who is known online as Yuyamika, uses make-up to transform herself into celebrities and figures like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Photo: Weibo

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