Chinese actress Zheng Shuang’s altered appearance shocks fans after surrogacy and tax evasion scandals

Chinese actress Zheng Shuang shocked fans with her drastically changed appearance, as recent photos from the U.S. revealed her puffy face and thinning hair.

A netizen remarked: "The once-innocent ‘little flower,’ the ‘top actress,’ has now fallen to such a state?" as reported by Sohu via Thanh Nien.

On her 33rd birthday in August, Zheng shared emotional photos showing a gaunt and exhausted look, further highlighting her struggles.

Zheng's appearance sparked mixed reactions online. While some netizens expressed sympathy and pity for her situation, others criticized her, attributing her downfall to an allegedly flawed lifestyle. Fans suggested providing her with cosmetics, hair treatments, and diet plans to help her regain her former look.

Rumors have also circulated that Zheng is attempting to find a white boyfriend to gain U.S. citizenship. These claims have faced ridicule, with one user sarcastically commenting, "Does she think white men would accept her after knowing her past?"

Chinese actress Zheng Shuang on a TV show. Photo from Weibo

Zheng owes large sums to the production teams of "Jade Lover" and "Secret Keepers", projects that 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 mandate requiring her to pay 90.5 million yuan to the "Jade Lover" crew.

In April, legal documents disclosed by Tianyancha declared Zheng bankrupt, revealing she had no assets. This sparked widespread speculation online about whether she had transferred assets to evade repayment.

Zheng was once a prominent actress in mainland China, gaining widespread fame for her portrayal of Chu Yuxun 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 uncovered that Zheng failed to report a personal income of 191 million yuan (US$26 million) between 2019 and 2020, resulting in tax evasion amounting to 45.27 million yuan.