Actress Zheng Shuang cautions against the high cost of misplaced trust

Chinese actress Zheng Shuang. Photo from Instagram/shuang0822love

"Age and advice seldom awaken a person," Zheng remarked, as reported by Dan Tri Newspaper. "Trusting the wrong individual can lead you down a path of high costs and despair."

Alongside her post, she included a recent photograph of herself, a rare glimpse into her current life. It is evident from the photo that Zheng has adopted a simpler style and appears noticeably different from her days as a prominent actress.

Beneath her post, numerous online users speculated that Zheng might be suffering from depression and despair. During her 33rd birthday last month, she also posted images depicting her tear-stained face and gaunt figure.

Zheng currently owes substantial amounts to the production teams of "Jade Lover" and "Secret Keepers." She was casted in these projects, however, her scandals related to surrogacy and tax evasion in 2021 halted their release. Consequently, the film crews filed lawsuits against Zheng, seeking compensation.

Renwu Magazine reported that Zheng was ordered to pay the "Secret Keepers" crew 120 million yuan (US$17 million), while The Paper revealed a court mandate for her to pay the "Jade Lover" crew 90.5 million yuan.

According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese business information service Tianyancha disclosed legal documents stating that Zheng has been declared bankrupt with no assets in April.

This declaration of bankruptcy has fueled extensive speculation on social media about potential asset transfers to evade debt repayment.

Prior to these legal troubles, Zheng was acclaimed as a leading actress in China.

Her surrogacy controversy surfaced in 2021 when her ex-partner Zhang Heng, 34, disclosed their surrogacy plans in the U.S. and accused her of planning to abandon the child amidst a deteriorating relationship.

Additionally, Zheng was fined 299 million yuan for tax evasion in the same year.

Further reports suggest she has moved to the U.S. and has been categorized as a "dishonest citizen," subjecting her to spending restrictions including bans on booking flights, purchasing high-speed train tickets, and staying in five-star hotels.

In February, Zheng admitted to depleting her financial resources and now relies on her parents’ pension. She declared her resolve to earn money and repay her debts as ordered by the court.

Reports from July indicate that Zheng contacted two former boyfriends, Chinese singer Tiger Hu and actor Hans Zhang, to request financial assistance for settling her debts, which she is unable to manage alone. It is reported that Hu transferred 1.5 million yuan to Zheng, and Zhang contributed 300,000 yuan.