by Lily Alice, December 31, 2024
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Update: On the afternoon of December 31 (CST), Zhu Rui, another friend of Zhao Lusi, who also worked with her in The Story of Pearl Girl, posted a statement in response to the post that says Zhao Lusi was physically and verbally abused by her person in charge. She clarified that the bullying came from her previous person in charge and emphasized that she has a good relationship with her current person in charge. She called for the person who did wrong to apologize but urged people not to let innocent parties take the blame. 


Chinese actress Zhao Lusi has been in the headlines after a photo purportedly showing her in a wheelchair went viral. Zhao Lusi's agency posted an official statement on Weibo, explaining that Zhao Lusi had suddenly fallen ill during filming and had immediately gone to the hospital for examination and treatment.

It was later revealed by a close friend of hers that the actress had been hospitalized for aphasia, a language disorder caused by damage to parts of the brain.

Now, on December 31, a post from an individual claiming to be Zhao Lusi's close friend, who disclosed, allegedly with her consent, that she had been physically assaulted by her person in charge from the management company, has been going viral.

Here is the full text of the post:

I'm furious!!

Here are some things I want to reveal as her good friend. Back in 2019, something happened that I've been keeping in my heart for a long time.... It wasn't until I came to Hangzhou and saw her sitting in a wheelchair, looking extremely frail and thin, that I fully realized the weight of it. I wasn't involved in what happened this time and can't speak for it, but I told her that emotions can't be bottled up; they need to be expressed and vented out. As we talked, we revisited that incident from 2019, and it became clear that she was never really able to 'let it go.' Since that's the case, even if it means being criticized or misunderstood, it's better to speak out.

In April 2019, when Lu Si had a break in her schedule, she was in Beijing auditioning for roles. At the time, she didn't have her own place, so she stayed at my house. During the day, we were both busy with our own work and only occasionally ate and chatted together. One night, when I came home and turned on the lights, I found her curled up in the living room, sitting in the dark. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, 'I don't know why they hit me. I'm so scared.' I was shocked. 'Why? There has to be a reason, right?' She told me that someone had dragged her into the bathroom called her useless, and scolded her for two hours, saying things like why she couldn't land a role, and how she should reflect on why she hadn't been cast as a lead actress before. They called her fat and said she wasn't as good as others, just constantly putting her down. This went on until 2 a.m. Finally, because Lu Si stayed silent, that person slammed the door and left. Lu Si, feeling so aggrieved, grabbed her bag and opened the door to leave. It was drizzling outside. That person chased after her, seemingly trying to grab her.

We're not sure whether they intended to slap her or pull her hair and missed, but in any case, she was hit. She was terrified. Over the years, we've talked about this incident many times, and I've always felt guilty for not realizing how much it had been weighing on her all this time. Both she and I thought that openly discussing it meant she had moved on. Lu Si seemed to be doing better, so we assumed she wasn't dwelling on it anymore. But when I found out she still wakes up in terror from nightmares, I realized this matter has never truly passed for her.

At the time, when I asked her when it happened, she said it was the night before. She had only gotten home to sleep at 5 a.m., after a dispute around 4 a.m., near the entrance of that residential complex. Because I left early in the morning, I didn't find out about it until I came home that evening. We were too young back then and knew that even if we called the police, evidence would be required. We were also worried that without evidence, justice might not be served. So, Lu Si and I went together to look for surveillance footage. I asked her if she had told her family.  She said no, because she didn't want to make things worse. She didn't want to because her contract hadn't expired yet, and she feared involving her parents would lead to them having to pay compensation, which would make her feel guilty.

For the next few days, she hardly slept. How could she [sleep under such circumstances]? What did she do wrong to deserve such humiliation and injustice? The next day, Lu Si was summoned to the company. With just a simple 'I'm sorry, I was drunk,' the matter was brushed aside and ended. Later, we found out that the first thing this person did in the morning was call Lu Si's mom, saying how disobedient Lu Si was.

Later, we found out that this person's first call in the morning was to Lu Si's mother, claiming how disobedient Lu Si was, essentially laying the groundwork. The implication was that no matter what, it should be understood that it was all for her good.

From beginning to end, this person never apologized to Lu Si, never showed any remorse. No matter what, how could you treat a 21-year-old girl like this? There were five people present at the time who were holding them back when they were going crazy. Lu Si's manager held her in their arms, and two other artists knew what happened and were aware of her distressed state during that period. So many people witnessed it, and just because you were in charge and Lu Si was a young girl without any background, you thought you could treat her this way?!

I will never forget her face, which was always filled with smiles, turning into a face of helplessness, fear, and unstoppable tears that night...

What I want to say is that Lu Si has always been someone who handles her emotions and problems by herself [keeping it all in]. She didn't even tell me about this incident! We were chatting as usual, and she only asked, "Are you busy lately?" How could I have guessed that she had fallen ill? It was a friend who told me a few days later! When I checked our chat history from December 18, I finally realized it!

She has always been someone who gives to others — friends, family, and even unfamiliar co-actors. She's responsible and always thinks about others first. She is also incredibly strong, and many things that have happened prove that she is someone who can handle a lot of pressure. That's what we all thought, including herself. But in reality, her ability to endure pressure has shown through her physical condition. The emotions she cannot handle on her own are something she chooses to bottle up inside and never tells us about, because she doesn't want to burden us....

I keep thinking, how the person who bullied her back then be so cruel? So despicable! Why hasn't anyone dealt with this person yet? And now, there are people online spouting nonsense. Haven't they thought that they, too, could suffer from illness? All of them are perpetrators! They're abusers! Haven't there been enough tragedies caused by online violence?

I'm deeply worried. Looking at her current condition, I'm not sure if she can withstand the coming rounds of online attacks, malicious posts, and rumors. I plead with these people to stop using a sick person as a target for jokes, ridicule, and gossip. The harassment has not ceased. Even if she were an ordinary person, she doesn't deserve this kind of treatment! God is watching. Remember, karma will come for everything.

Lastly, everything stated above has been shared with her consent.
Hangzhou



The above post is going viral on Chinese online platforms. Zhao Lu Si's agency has yet to issue an official statement regarding the matter.

Sources: Luzhong Morning Post, Sohu Entertainment