2022 Year-in-Review: This Year's Top 3 Celebrity Gossip Stories

The year 2022 has been filled with twists and turns, making us all the more ready to bid it farewell. But Beijing wasn’t too bad of a place to spend the year, so in 2022 Year in Review, we’re taking a look back at the best and worst of times in the capital from this year that was.

As 2022 nears its end, we're taking a look back at some of the juiciest entertainment news and gossip stories from 2022.

1. Li Yifeng Charged With Soliciting Prostitution

One of the most talked-about scandals in 2022 was one involving Li Yifeng, who was charged for soliciting prostitution. The Chinese actor found himself in legal trouble days after his own studio released a statement claiming that the internet rumors about his personal life were completely false. After Li's arrest was made public, the allegations delivered a devastating impact on Li’s career as several brands immediately dropped him.

2. Angelababy's English Name Caused Controversies

Chinese screenwriter Wang Hailin caused a quite a bit of stir on the internet when he stated that Chinese artists should not use foreign language names. He even took to his own Weibo to make the statement, writing, “Yang Ying cannot use the name Angelababy anymore, and La Mu Yang Zi, [another Chinese actress with a foreign sounding name (birth name Li Jiaqi 李嘉琦) ] should also use her Chinese name.” However, the screenwriter’s claim didn't sit well with Chinese netizens, with some mocking that they might as well cancel English classes and ban English songs and movies. Wang later added that the rule he was referring to isn’t new and the NRTA already enforces a rule that drama subtitles cannot use English names. Angelababy and her team largely remained silent on this issue and she is still using her English name on Weibo.

3. Zhang Yimou's Wife Decried Olympic Pressures

Earlier this year, Chen Ting, the wife of Chinese director Zhang Yimou went public with claims that mounting Olympic pressures had deteriorated Zhang’s health. Chen's outcry went viral on Chinese social media, with the public's reaction surprisingly divided on the issue. Some showed sympathy towards Chen's concerns and suggested that the director should take care of his health. Others, however, criticized Chen's behavior for taking such a private matter to the public. Chen later revoked her verification on Weibo as Zhang Yimou’s wife, resulting in further speculations among netizens who were curious to find out the reason behind Chen's move.

Read: Where to Ring in the New Year in Beijing, Pt. 2 

Images: Courtesy of 北京日报，Weibo