Chinese singer-turned-actor Zhai Xiaowen has broken his silence over the growing fan backlash surrounding his third onscreen collaboration with Wu Xuanyi in the upcoming iQIYI series My Drama Missy (有戏). The two just starred together in Love in Pavilion this year where they won over fans as the second couple. Before that, they were in Sweet Teeth with their respective love interests. My Drama Missy sparked controversy after casting was officially announced, leading to a full-blown fan protest.
Zhai Xiaowen’s Fan Club Goes on “Strike”
Fans worry that repeated pairings will lock Zhai Xiaowen into a fixed “CP” (couple pairing), wasting the good reputation he earned from his drama Aways Home. Fans accused his team of pretending the collab wasn’t happening and calling it a “betrayal.” The source novel is a female-led story, prompting fears that the 26-year-old actor’s role would be sidelined.
After My Drama Missy confirmed its leads, Zhai Xiaowen’s Global Fan Club Weibo Account (翟潇闻全球Fans影音馆) released a statement declaring a total boycott of the project: Suspending all fan support, including likes, shares, and trending efforts. They also demanded a direct and honest response from the artist’s team, accusing them of dismissing their concerns. Wu Xuanyi’s fanbase has largely stayed silent.
Zhai Xiaowen’s Response: “An Actor’s Strength Comes from His Work”
Meanwhile, Zhao Xiaowen issued a response explaining his stance as a working actor and that he intends to seize every opportunity. He also thanked the fans who are still willing to stay with him.
Zhai Xiaowen wrote: “Hello everyone, I’ve been seeing more and more of you in the first half of this year, and I’m really happy that we’ve once again shared a time filled with encouragement and strength, sparked by voices of recognition. Your support has always been the driving force that keeps me moving forward. Regarding the recent events these past couple of days, I want to say: an actor’s greatest confidence comes from their work. I may still have some distance to go before becoming an actor truly recognized by everyone, but for now, I want to seize every opportunity, create more roles and projects, and do my best to complete this chapter of my journey. I’ve seen all your feedback—thank you to everyone who’s still willing to walk this path with me. I hope we will always bring each other positive and forward-moving energy. Wishing you happiness every day!”
Photo: Zhai Xiao Wen
Joni
That was a good response. Basically telling the fan club to ‘go fly kite’ in a very nice and positive way.
Cc
I love his response. He was polite and respectful but also drew a boundary as to how much interference he would be ok with. Fans are so opinionated now. Just let them make their own decisions and watch their work if you want to!