In the glittering world of entertainment, how many unscrupulous hands lie hidden behind the scenes?
Just how deep does the entertainment industry’s corruption run? Some male actors use the pretext of filming to openly assault their female co-stars. Groping, harassing, and pulling at undergarments – actions that should be condemned are instead disguised as part of the plot or innocent mistakes. What’s even more tragic is that many of the victimized actresses, due to their lower status and limited resources, are forced to endure in silence or go along with the so-called clarifications.
In 2022, Zhang Han's self-written, directed, and starred series *Mr. Right of the East 8th District* was a complete disaster. In one scene, the male lead, played by Zhang, was supposed to save the female lead, Wang Xiaocheng, who accidentally slipped. But instead of helping her up, he grabbed her bra strap with precision, and the camera zoomed in on it. In another intimate scene, he placed Wang Xiaocheng on his lap, his hand lingering on her chest for several seconds. The cringeworthy and awkward display led viewers to express disgust, calling it physically uncomfortable to watch.
To make matters worse, Zhang Han claimed that the series, which he had worked on for four years, was a masterpiece of his dedication. Netizens didn’t hold back in their criticisms: \"Four years to come up with scenes that insult women?\" Eventually, the series was pulled due to public backlash, and Zhang was labeled as having \"salty hands,\" leading to a dramatic decline in his career.
An anonymous casting director from the industry revealed that female actresses who reject the male lead’s “extra scene requests” risk losing important roles. This power imbalance has allowed some individuals to act with impunity.
The once-kind-hearted Emperor in *My Fair Princess*, known for his gentle portrayal of the royal father, turned out to be a habitual offender behind the scenes. In 2003, while filming *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber*, he had a kissing scene with Tao Hong. The director had specifically instructed for a light, gentle kiss, but the actor ignored this and forcibly held Tao Hong down, deepening the kiss for 40 seconds, even using his tongue. Tao Hong’s terrified expression was clear, but she could not escape.
Afterward, the actor casually explained that it was for the sake of realism, while Tao Hong was forced to swallow her anger. His inappropriate behavior didn’t stop there. During the filming of *Under the Big Bridge*, he had harassed China's first beauty, Gong Xue. He was also implicated in a scandal with actress Zi Xiaomin, resulting in her pregnancy, while making insensitive remarks about how women nowadays get pregnant just by touching. To top it off, he reportedly sent people to steal his own son and denied him visitation rights. Netizens mocked him: \"The Emperor’s dignity was destroyed by his own filth!\"
In *Wulin's Tales*, the polite and scholarly Lü Xiucai turned out to repeatedly cross boundaries in real life. At a 2014 press conference for the film *Li Kele's Search for a Missing Person*, Yu Entai suddenly buried his head in actress Wang Lanfey’s neck before kneeling to hug her thigh, pressing his face against her buttocks, and grinding his hips. Wang Lanfey froze in place.
Later, on the variety show *Mars Intelligence Agency*, Yu Entai stood behind actress Ying Cai'er and began grinding his hips against her. Ying, visibly angry, turned around and snapped, “This isn’t a nightclub!” Yu Entai tried to justify his behavior, claiming it was part of the performance, but the audience was unimpressed: “A high education doesn’t equate to high morals. Lü Xiucai’s image has been shattered!”
Hong Kong’s entertainment industry big shot, Zeng Zhiwei, has so many skeletons in his closet that it’s shocking. Most disturbing was his assault on Lan Jieying in the 1990s, when he lured her to a hotel in Singapore under the guise of celebrating his birthday, only to assault her. This event drove Lan to a mental breakdown and forced her to exit the entertainment industry. She later died in misery.
In the movie *Peaceful Battlefield*, Zeng Zhiwei reportedly insisted on \"doing it for real\" during a rape scene. A Filipino actor violently assaulted actress Yu Qianwen during filming, and she begged him to stop. Zeng, however, refused to intervene, claiming the actor was \"in the moment.\" Eventually, a female art director stormed onto the set to rescue Yu, yelling at Zeng for his inhumanity. Yu was left with physical trauma and required surgery for a displaced nose bone, causing her to retire from acting.
What’s even more galling is that Zeng Zhiwei still holds a high position as TVB’s general manager. Netizens were furious: \"The dark side of the entertainment industry is allowing people like him to rule with impunity!\"
These are just the tip of the iceberg. Yang Mi had her skirt yanked by Guo Jingming in public and had to laugh it off as a joke; when 17-year-old Liu Yifei filmed *The Return of the Condor Heroes*, she was groped by extras, but due to the chaos of the set, no one took responsibility; Xu Shuxin was groped by a male actor early in her career, and, due to her low status, was forced to go along with the clarification.
However, not all male stars are like this. Chen Weiting, when carrying a female actress, always kept his fist clenched to avoid touching sensitive areas. Wang Kai, before a kissing scene in *Ode to Joy*, repeatedly asked Wang Ziwen for her consent. New generation actors like Wu Lei and Yi Yangqianxi respect boundaries when interacting with female co-stars. Their actions show that respecting women should be the baseline, not a virtue.
When becoming too immersed in a role turns into an excuse for sleazy behavior, and when \"plot requirements\" are used to cover up the essence of sexual harassment, the dark side of the entertainment industry must be exposed to the light. The government has condemned these actions: \"Any behavior that crosses the moral or legal line will pay the price!\"
Audiences are becoming more discerning, and public backlash is intensifying—Zhang Han’s series being pulled, and Yu Entai’s image collapsing, are the beginning of the industry’s self-purging. Female actresses no longer need to remain silent: the *Women’s Rights Protection Law* revised in 2023 explicitly includes sexual harassment under legal regulation, making it easier to collect evidence.
As netizens have urgently called: \"Don’t let the set become a breeding ground for crime, don’t let applause drown out the victims’ cries!\"
