Zhao Lusi, Kun, Chen Feiyu: Bouncing back from scandal

When a celebrity is boycotted in China, they face the wrath of millions of netizens — creating risky terrain for any brand partnerships. Yet several scandal-hit Chinese stars have cautiously re-entered public life, and even reunited with luxury houses, testing how short audiences’ memories can be. Here, we examine some of these gradual returns to understand how celebrity rehabilitation operates, and how luxury houses balance risk, reach, and reputation in a market where a single misstep can go viral. Zhao Lusi (Rosy) Global ambassador for Versace and Bulgari’s China face, actress Zhao Lusi (赵露思), 26, reignited national attention this summer after accusing her former agency, Galaxy Cool Entertainment, of mistreatment and financial misconduct. In a series of Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) livestreams, Zhao alleged coercion and medical neglect during filming, as well as withheld earnings — claims that drew both public sympathy and scrutiny. While her revelations created short-term volatility for luxury partners that prize control, Zhao’s transparency generated record engagement. She became the first Xiaohongshu creator to surpass 21 million followers, helping her sell out products including noodles and jewelry. The episode underscores a shift in China’s celebrity economy: emotional candor now elicits consumer loyalty, even amid controversy. For brands, the challenge lies in managing empathy without endorsing instability. Now under Alibaba’s entertainment arm via its Hujing/Orca subsidiary, Zhao has focused on recovery and selective visibility. Her costume TV drama The Story of Pearl Girl — filmed before her hospitalization — aired in late 2024, and she released the single You R in October the same year. Clips featuring Zhao are already being promoted across Alibaba’s advertising platforms, signaling her positioning as one of the conglomerate’s most visible stars. While she continues to prioritize recovery and has paused new drama offers, Zhao’s alignment with Hujing marks a controlled, corporate-backed return to the spotlight. Deng Lun (Allen) Three years after a 106 million RMB ($14.9 million) tax evasion fine halted his career, actor and singer Deng Lun (邓伦) has quietly resurfaced. Best known for the 2018 hit Ashes of Love, Deng has been photographed at cafés and has reportedly resumed low-profile studio work. Lifestyle editorials and voice projects have surfaced without official credit, allowing him to gauge public sentiment before pursuing commercial partnerships. His measured return follows a rehabilitation playbook: strategic offlines sightings, unbranded content and gradual public reintegration. While no luxury brands have publicly re-signed him, his name has trended on Xiaohongshu after a fan spotted him, suggesting consumer curiosity may outweigh institutional wariness. Chen Feiyu (Arthur) After intimate photos with a fan surfaced in February 2023, actor Chen Feiyu (陈飞宇), son of director Chen Kaige and actress Chen Hong, has rebuilt his public profile through selective appearances. While speculation swirled around his endorsements with Dior and Tissot, neither brand issued termination statements at the time. Chen now stars in the fantasy drama When Destiny Brings the Demon, maintaining a low promotional profile and relying on ensemble casting and stylized campaigns. The star last posted on Instagram in July 2025, when he appeared at Balenciaga’s Paris Fashion Week show, earning praise for his renewed confidence. His trajectory shows how “heritage visibility” — leveraging family prestige and industry connections — combined with controlled exposure can stabilize careers damaged by personal scandals. Balenciaga’s invitation reflects calculated risk-taking: welcoming rehabilitated talent to high-profile events as public sentiment gradually shifts toward second chances. Zhang Jike Olympic table tennis champion Zhang Jike (张继科) withdrew from public life after a March 2023 scandal involving alleged gambling debts and leaked intimate videos. He consequently lost all of his brand deals, including Anta, Toyota, Chinese nutrition company Nuotelande, and Safeguard. Zhang has since pivoted to sports education, producing short-form content on youth training and mental health advocacy. However, his March 2025 claim on social media that he could defeat current women’s world No. 2 Wang Manyu sparked a backlash, with netizens accusing him of attention-seeking. While luxury endorsements remain out of reach, Zhang’s shift toward social responsibility reflects a broader strategy: reframing fallen celebrities as educators rather than entertainers. His trajectory illustrates China’s “reputation-to-responsibility” pathway, where post-scandal figures rebuild credibility through public service positioning rather than commercial appeal. Cai Xukun In May 2024, Versace appointed singer-songwriter and actor Cai Xukun (蔡徐坤) as its global brand ambassador, a move that generated 370 million Weibo views and topped search rankings for 14 hours. The announcement came nearly a year after June 2023 allegations that the C-pop idol had coerced a former girlfriend into an abortion. Cai denied the claims, and in April 2025 a court ruling confirmed the allegations were fabricated, leading to public apologies from the accusers and a defamation judgment in his favor. Performing under his mononym Kun, Cai was appointed Charlotte Tilbury’s global makeup ambassador in February 2025, marking one of China’s most high-profile celebrity rehabilitations. His comeback underscores how legal vindication, paired with strategic silence during proceedings and an impressive musical return, can restore commercial viability for scandal-trained celebrities, particularly if core fanbase support remains intact. The economics of forgiveness China’s entertainment ecosystem permits selective rehabilitation, where strategic commercial realignments can outlast scandal fatigue. Luxury houses, once quick to sever ties, now adopt a “wait-and-see” approach, weighing engagement metrics and authenticity against moral considerations. To risk assess a celebrity for brand partnerships, deep background research should not be overlooked, while contracts should also be structured to cover risk mitigation with clauses that allow for a speedy termination or disassociation if the celebrity does end up involved in a scandal. The divergent comeback trajectories of Zhao Lusi, Deng Lun, Arthur Chen, Zhang Jike, and Cai Xukun reveal a fundamental truth: reputation in China’s celebrity economy is fluid. Legal vindication accelerates rehabilitation (Cai), while heritage connections provide cushioning (Chen). Strategic silence works for some (Deng), while public advocacy backfires for others (Zhang). There is no single formula — only varying degrees of institutional patience, fan loyalty, and commercial calculus that determine whether redemption becomes possible.

China scandals: Where are they now?

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China scandals: Where are they now?