Vicki Zhao’s Name & Shows Wiped From Chinese Websites; Is Pic Of Her Wearing A Rising Sun Flag Dress In 2001 The Cause?

The recent Zhang Zhehan saga, in which the formerly in-demand Chinese actor experienced a spectacular fall from grace after old pics of him visiting notorious Japanese war shrines resurfaced, proves just how ruthless the industry can be when it comes to past mistakes.

Besides being dropped from dozens of endorsement deals and several upcoming projects, shows that the 30-year-old previously appeared in were either taken down completely, or had his name removed from the cast list on official websites.

Now, netizens have noticed that the same thing has happened to Chinese actress Vicki Zhao, 45.

Uh-oh. So what did she do?

On Thursday evening (Aug 26), many of Zhao Wei’s past works, including classics like My Fair Princess, Painted Skin, and Romance in the Rain, were either found to have been taken down or had her name omitted from the credits on Chinese video platforms.

Even doing a search for her name on websites like iQiyi and Youku displays no results, and the Weibo Super Topic (basically, the platform's subreddit) dedicated to her has disappeared as well.

Before long, phrases related to this puzzling incident became trending topics on social media, with netizens scratching their heads over what could have sparked such an obvious punishment for Vicki.

While there has yet to be an official reason for the star getting blacklisted suddenly, there are a lot of speculations floating around online.

One popular theory is that it has something to do with a magazine photoshoot Vicki did in the United States all the way back in 2001, for which she wore a dress bearing a design of the controversial Rising Sun flag.

The flag is considered offensive in countries like China and South Korea as it is seen as a symbol of Japan’s brutal wartime atrocities.

Then there’s all the drama surrounding her and her billionaire tycoon husband Huang Youlong’s questionable investments, financial issues, and lawsuits over the years, which you can read about here, here, and here.

Another ‘offence’ that was brought up was the time she invited Taiwanese actor Leon Dai and Japanese-American model Kiko Mizuhara to star in her 2016 film No Other Love, which she directed.

Folks were unhappy with her casting choice as Leon was accused of being pro-Taiwan independence, while Kiko was criticised for ‘liking’ a photo that was said to be an “insult to China”.

Some also surmised that Vicki was targeted thanks to her connection to Zhehan, who was signed to her management agency, even though she announced that they terminated their contract with him following his scandal.

Photos: Vicki Zhao/Weibo, Word of Honor/Weibo, 爱豆放映室/Weibo