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| Zhang Ruonan in Tears on TV Over Fans Being Targeted by Online Hate (Weibo Video) |
Chinese rising star Zhang Ruonan has been riding high off the success of her latest drama The First Frost (难哄), co-starring Bai Jingting.
With her sweet “first love” image winning hearts everywhere, her popularity has skyrocketed, pulling in nearly 3.9 million new followers.
But with fame, sadly, comes the darker side of the internet.
Recently, Zhang Ruonan found herself at the centre of an unexpected controversy – all over her fanclub name, "Nan Friends" (楠朋友).
Some trolls accused the term of being "male-pleasing" (媚男), twisting its meaning and sparking a wave of online hate.
Appearing on the variety show Mao Xue Wang, hosted by Mao Buyi and Li Xueqin, Zhang finally opened up about the real story behind "Nan Friends" – and ended up getting so emotional she broke down in tears mid-interview.
According to Zhang Ruonan, when she first debuted in the film Cry Me a Sad River, she was a total newcomer, barely known in the industry.
Her company organised a low-key press event, and to her complete surprise, a fan travelled all the way from Fujian just to support her.
“That day really stuck with me,” Zhang Ruonan shared, voice trembling.
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| Zhang Ruonan Breaks Down Explaining "Nan Friends" Fan Name After Being Slammed by Haters |
It was this very first fan who, after the event, posted on Weibo and casually referred to herself as a “Nan Friend” – meaning simply, “a friend of Zhang Ruonan”.
Touched by the warmth and sincerity behind it, Zhang decided to officially name her fanbase "Nan Friends", cherishing the bond it symbolised.
“I always thought of it as such a close, friendly name,” she explained.
“Like we’re friends supporting each other.”
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She emphasised that it was the fans themselves who coined the term — not some PR move, not some marketing ploy.
Unfortunately, in today’s internet culture, even the purest things can get twisted.
Critics started throwing around accusations that "Nan Friends" was designed to pander to men, completely ignoring the name’s original, heartfelt meaning.
The wave of hate eventually forced Zhang Ruonan to rename the fandom “Little Seals” (小印章) just to put an end to the drama.
Fighting back tears, Zhang said she couldn’t understand why people had to distort something so innocent.
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"My fans know that ‘Nan Friends’ was always about friendship, it was always mutual," she said.
"But you can't control what some people want to say… I really don’t know what behaviour of mine made them feel like that (媚男)."
The emotional toll has been real.
Zhang Ruonan admitted that after The First Frost finished airing, she spent an entire day at home crying — not because of the success, but because she was terrified that her own past controversies might drag down how people viewed the drama she loved so much.
The clip of her breaking down quickly shot up the trending lists, with thousands of fans rushing to defend her.
Comments flooded in saying things like, "She’s been carrying this pain for years, it’s heartbreaking" and "Only those with dirty minds could twist something so pure."
It’s clear that for Zhang Ruonan, "Nan Friends" was never just a name – it was the start of a journey, a bond, and a reminder that even when the internet gets ugly, real fans always see the truth.