China actress loses brand partners for saying ‘hundreds of thousands’ a month is not enough
Product boycott calls force 53-year-old star into online apology; actress admits she had forgotten ‘her roots’; will change after self-reflection
A Chinese actress has apologised for making comments in which she flaunted her wealth, sparking a public backlash.
Yan Xuejing made the controversial comments during a live-streaming session at the end of December when she said a couple should earn at least 800,000 yuan (US$115,000) a year to “maintain a family’s operation”, China Newsweek reported.
Yan, 53, complained to her audience that her son earns little.
“He is 32 years old. He and his wife both have a very low income,” said Yan.
She said her son is paid “only hundreds of thousands of yuan” for acting in dramas while his wife earns less than 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) from her music-related job.
“In Beijing, you must cover your family’s expenses of 800,000 to one million yuan a year; otherwise your family cannot be operated,” Yan added.
Her opinion ignited a stir on mainland social media, with many people calling for a boycott of the products Yan endorsed.