Yu Zheng’s currently-airing drama Marvelous Women 当家主母 which true to its name features a female cast led by veteran actress Jiang Qinqin, Zhang Huiwen and Yang Rong was recently under the spotlight for the worst reason. A scene where a poisoned cat falls from a table and dies was so realistic that viewers were worried it could be animal abuse.
On November 26, the show released footage of the actual scene and the behind-the-scenes to eliminate any misunderstanding. They explain that the cat, named “Mimi”, is native to Hengdian (their filming location) and beloved by the crew. Filming was done under the supervision of professionals and the cat owner to ensure the cat’s safety. They explain that the blood on Mimi was edible plasma and syrup and that the leg jerks were achieved using a rope. The clip shows the cat licking its lips behind the scenes while the actual scene was a still shot.
Nonetheless, some remain unconvinced and even suspect that the clip was edited. Six hours later, the show released another explanation, this time showing they’ve contacted Mimi’s owner in response to everyone’s concerns. The owner whose face is blurred for privacy reasons reveals that Mimi gave birth this July. She showed a video of Mimi and her kittens from her phone. She also had other shots of Mimi with the time stamp from last month as another crew inquired about hiring the cat for shooting. When asked if Mimi was around, the owner said Mimi ran out a couple days ago and wasn’t back yet. She pointed to the other cat in the store and explained that they roam freely.
Meanwhile, many left comments demanding to see Mimi now or at least an unedited version of the footage behind-the-scenes. Update: The show released footage of the cat with her owner. On January 24, 2022, police revealed that there is no truth to the rumors that a cat died.
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Daniela Prandini
Se è vero è una cosa orribile. Speriamo che sia solo un trucco cinematografico, anche se sembrava molto reale.