Ex-Mediacorp actor Dai Xiangyu, 39, recently found himself making headlines after a paparazzo released an audio recording between Chinese actor Zhang Haowei, 33, and an unknown woman.
In the recording, Haowei was heard telling the woman that Xiangyu had told him two days ago that him soliciting prostitutes may be reported in the media after “investigations on Li Yifeng’s case had started to involve [him] too”.
Chinese actor Li Yifeng was detained in September 2022 on suspicion of soliciting prostitutes and he eventually plead guilty.
After Haowei’s bombshell audio clip went viral, Chinese media Sina Weibo reached out to Xiangyu’s manager for a response.
The manager replied: “Do you think it’s true?” before explaining that Xiangyu does not know Haowei.
Though Haowei later also clarified that he’s not personally acquainted with Xiangyu and that the clip had been edited, the damage was already done.
Netizens criticised Xiangyu, with many saying that his role as a jerk in drama Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty Ⅱ was just him being himself.
A livid Xiangyu went on to rant about the incident on Weibo.
“A person whom I’m not even related to turned all my efforts into dust just because of the things he casually said,” snapped Xiangyu, who also revealed the contents of the lawyer’s letter he had sent Haowei.
In it, he asked for Haowei to apologise for defaming him within three days, or they would see each other in court.
Xiangyu’s wife Chinese actress Chen Zihan, 46, also took to Weibo to stand up for her husband.
“I can totally understand how he feels right now and it really makes my heart ache. My husband’s biggest wish is to work hard, yet he has to deal with such turmoil before he even enjoys the fruits of his labour,” she sighed.
She also gave a shoutout to Xiangyu, consoling him that the scandal is “not a big deal” as long as they are there for each other.
Zihan later shared a screenshot of a conversation with a friend of Xiangyu’s, in which she joked that her “husband is finally famous” when someone told her about the scandal.
Jokes aside, the friend repeatedly reminded Zihan that “Xiangyu is totally broken emotionally”.