Actress Zheng Shuang looks tired in photo after admitting financial hardships

Chinese actress Zheng Shuang. Photo from Instagram/shuang0822love

Citing 163, Dan Tri Newspaper reported that many social media users commented that the actress appeared worn out and no longer maintained the radiant appearance she once had when she was active in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Additionally, Zheng included a caption expressing her distress in the post, revealing that she had been ill recently and that her life was not going well. Her actions attracted attention from netizens, many of whom speculated that the actress might be showing signs of depression due to her ongoing display of sadness.

In mid-November, Zheng caused a stir by posting a distress video on social media, admitting that she was facing financial hardship and in need of help, which raised concerns among the public.

The actress owes significant sums to the production teams of "Jade Lover" and "Secret Keepers," film projects in which she starred but were halted due to her 2021 scandals involving surrogacy and tax evasion. As a result, the production teams filed lawsuits against her, seeking compensation.

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

In April, legal documents released by Tianyancha disclosed that Zheng was bankrupt and had no assets. This sparked widespread speculation online regarding whether she had transferred assets to evade repayment.

Zheng, 33, was once a prominent actress in mainland China, gaining widespread fame for her role in the 2009-2010 television series "Meteor Shower."

In 2010, she made history as the youngest nominee for Best Actress at the China TV Golden Eagle Awards, according to the South China Morning Post.

However, her career took a sharp downturn in 2021 following major controversies involving surrogacy and tax evasion. That year, her former partner, producer Zhang Heng, alleged that Zheng had abandoned two children born via surrogacy in the U.S.

Additionally, she faced accusations of earning substantial income without paying taxes. Investigations revealed that Zheng failed to report personal income of 191 million yuan between 2019 and 2020, resulting in tax evasion amounting to 45.27 million yuan.

Further reports suggest that she has relocated to the U.S. and has been placed on a list of "dishonest citizens," which imposes spending restrictions on her. These limitations include prohibitions on booking flights, purchasing high-speed train tickets, and staying in five-star hotels.

In February, Zheng stated that she had exhausted her financial resources and was subsisting on her parents’ pension. She expressed her intention to earn money and settle her debts as decreed by the court.