Last Wednesday, Cheng Yi gave fans a big scare after he was papped being carted off the set of his latest wuxia series Hero Legends 英雄志 on a stretcher. His Studio later updated everyone about his condition saying Cheng Yi’s back injury was acting up during filming so the crew took it upon themselves to arrange for him to have it checked out and treated in hospital. “The main symptoms were diagnosed as a lumbar sprain and lumbar disc herniation” they reported.  

That should’ve been the end of the matter yet speculation over the incident continued to simmer when some fans wanted to know the cause. Some fans called out what they say is an unreasonable working situation set by the drama’s crew. It is reported that Cheng Yi spent more than 10 hours filming on set. Others meanwhile blamed Zheng Yecheng who plays the second lead, causing a lot of friction between both actor’s fans. Rumour has it that Zheng Yecheng double booked his commitments thus requiring a stand-in to shoot his scenes for Hero Legends. This in turn put the pressure on Cheng Yi’s shoulders to work double time in order to “compensate” for any shortcomings of  Zheng Yencheng’s stand-in. With the long hours and extra pressure, fans reasoned that’s why his back injury acted up.

Cheng Yi Studio’s Statement

With all the speculation flying back and forth, Cheng Yi’s Studio issued a statement today to finally address some of the things being said. First, the Studio clarified that Mr Cheng Yi never mistreated a stand-in. Then, as for rumours such as he changed the script and that some scenes were reshot because “he didn’t like the costumes”, the idea is simply ridiculous they said. Throughout the entire filming process, they stressed that Cheng Yi always followed the script and the crew’s instructions. He was completely focused on the drama and never failed to live up to the role.

Moreover, when it comes to what some called an “unreasonable working situation”, the Studio reiterated their belief that all the effort is worthwhile. “The directors of the project have very high requirements for what will be captured on camera. The martial arts scenes are very demanding not to mention the many challenges encountered throughout the filming process. But we believe striving for excellence is very worthwhile.” Adding that the martial arts scenes were filmed within the extremes of a very cold winter and the scorching heat of summer, it was a test for everyone not just Cheng Yi who had an existing back injury but also the stuntmen and staff. “Everyone worked very hard”. It’s not fair then to have everyone’s hard work diminished, becoming a tool for malicious rumours.

Zheng Yecheng’s Studio Also Slams Rumours About Him

Meanwhile, Zheng Yecheng who was also blamed for the incident also issued a statement through his Studio calling the rumours as false. Aside from warning rumourmongers who continue to spread false information that they’ll be resorting to legal means, they also clarified why he could not wrap his scenes in March as originally planned. To ensure Hero Legends will not be hindered by “insufficient filming time” to present a high quality product, after consultation, both Zheng Yecheng’s team and the crew agreed to extend his filming schedule to April.

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