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A recent post by Chinese media outlet Elephant News has caused a stir after Zhao Liying publicly refuted claims about her interview regarding the film We Girls.
The ElephantNews Weibo post, which went viral, led to heated debates among netizens.
The media outlet claimed Zhao Liying had spoken about the deep connection between herself and her character, Gao Yuexiang.
However, the actress quickly shut down the claim, posting a screenshot with the caption: “No interview, fake news.”
This led to accusations that Elephant News had twisted her words.
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Soon after, they released a revised version, this time including a video interview with updated captions. But that didn’t stop the criticism.
Netizens pointed out that even in the video, Zhao Liying never made the statement originally attributed to her.
Director Feng Xiaogang later addressed the issue, clarifying that the controversial quote actually came from behind-the-scenes staff, not Zhao Liying herself.
He also stressed that the filmmakers had not conducted any media interviews.
Despite the controversy, We Girls is set to hit cinemas on 4 April 2025.
The film follows Gao Yuexiang, a woman who lands in prison after committing a crime to afford a cochlear implant for her daughter.
Inside, she bonds with other inmates, all of whom refuse to give up on life despite their struggles.
The media storm surrounding Zhao Liying’s supposed statement has raised questions about journalistic integrity in film promotions.
But for fans, the bigger focus remains on the highly anticipated release of We Girls.