Zhang Lan and Son Wang Xiaofei’s Social Media Accounts Banned Amid Controversy

Mother and son Zhang Lan and Wang Xiaofei’s Douyin accounts have just been indefinitely banned from Douyin aka China’s Tiktok. Following Barbie Hsu’s (Big S) passing, a Douyin account, “I Am Xia Xiaojian (我是夏小建),” claimed that her ex-husband, Wang Xiaofei, covered the costs of a private jet to return her ashes to Taiwan. The claim sparked intense discussion, prompting Big S’s sister, talk show host Dee Hsu (Little S), to issue a denial through her manager saying all arrangements, including the private jet, were handled by the Hsu family.

Incidentally, the owner of the Douyin account in question has been known to interact with Wang Xiaofei’s mother, Zhang Lan, referring to each other as “godmother” and “godson.” Shortly after, Douyin’s Vice President, Li Liang, addressed the issue, saying the account, which has been determined to have spread false information about the late actress has been permanently removed for violating platform guidelines while also condemning accounts exploiting her death for buzz and profit. The platform has indefinitely banned accounts of Zhang Lan and Wang Xiaofei citing repeated violations and misinformation.

Meanwhile, Weibo also took action, removing over 2,100 posts containing false rumors about Big S’s will and funeral. The platform suspended or terminated more than 100 accounts involved in spreading misinformation. Weibo further restricted Zhang Lan’s live-streaming privileges but stated they found no recent violations of malicious marketing on her part.

Public reaction to these measures has been largely positive, with many netizens calling for stricter regulations against malicious speculation surrounding deceased individuals.

Source: 1 2