Weibo Night Issues Second Apology to Xiao Zhan and Yang Mi Over Seating Controversy

The annual Weibo Night unexpectedly gave rise to a “seat-grabbing controversy” and toxic fanwars over accusations that actress Yang Mi tried to hog the “center” position, which is why a three-seater sofa where award-winning Xin Zhilei was supposed to be at the center with Weibo King and Queen Xiao Zhan and Yang Mi at her sides ended up with just the two ladies sharing the spotlight at one point. Yang Mi drew ire from those who thought she was the reason the actor had to change seats. Organizers who shut down the allegations in a previous apology have just issued another statement today to clarify the sequence of events behind the blunder. They expressed hope that all parties would stop making speculations and restore the artists’ reputations.

The organizers wrote, “In this regard, we sincerely express our deepest apologies to Mr. Xiao Zhan, Ms. Yang Mi, and all artists and fans who were affected.”

Full statement from the official Weibo Night account:

To all friends who care about Weibo Night:

First, regarding the controversy caused by errors in the placement of seat name placards during the Weibo Night event on February 5, we extend our sincere apologies to all affected artists and fans, as well as to all viewers who followed this event.

At around 2:00 p.m. on February 5, the on-site seating and name placards had already been accurately arranged according to the established plan. However, during a subsequent review, due to vacant seats in the second row of the central aisle, staff made an operational mistake and incorrectly moved Mr. Xiao Zhan’s name placard and some others outward, resulting in changes to their positions. After the issue was discovered, platform staff corrected it at the earliest opportunity during the event.

Throughout the entire process, Ms. Yang Mi and her team did not participate in or intervene in any seating arrangements or name placard placement. Relevant rumors circulating online are untrue.

We sincerely apologize to Mr. Xiao Zhan, Ms. Yang Mi, and all artists and fans affected. Going forward, we will strengthen attention to detail and prevent similar issues from happening again.

Thank you once again for your criticism and supervision.

Weibo Night Event Organizers

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