Yao Di suddenly found herself getting support from many over her reality show announcement after years of backlash following her previous controversy.
On 10 February, the actress posted on Weibo that she will be joining season three of the acting competition, “Everybody Stand By”, much to the ire of some netizens who still haven’t forgotten her previous scandal.
It is noted that in 2014, Yao was exposed of having an affair with Wen Zhang, whose then wife Ma Yili had just given birth to their second daughter. Wen immediately apologised, though their marriage fell apart soon after, while Yao decided to keep silent.
However, Yao’s silence still caused her to be shunned by many, with her career taking a bad fall. She then returned as a director but not without criticism.
As her announcement went viral, many took to the comments to slam her, saying that she should not have returned, and that people should be boycotting the show.
Nonetheless, some have now came to her defence, saying that the same treatment should have been given to male actors who cheated as well.
“Male artists can continue to make money after cheating, but female artists must be sentenced to life imprisonment for making mistakes? This is a ridiculous double standard!” said one.
Another posted, “Men who cheated on their wives all got away with it and continue to make money in the entertainment industry. Women can do the same. Withstand the pressure and keep proving yourself.”
They also stressed that cheating actors like Jackie Chan, Chen He and Chen Sicheng are still active and that they should be boycotted as well for their previous infidelities instead of being revered by the fans.
