Veteran Chinese actress Liu Xiaoqing, who's been charming viewers as the feisty grandma in The Prisoner of Beauty, is making headlines for reasons far beyond the screen – and they’re not pretty.
Now 74, Liu’s performance in the high-flying period drama might be getting praise, but off-camera, she's facing renewed scrutiny after being reported for suspected tax evasion.
A resident from Shenzhen, surnamed Wang, filed the report, prompting Shanghai tax authorities to open an official investigation. And as you can imagine, things escalated real fast on social media.
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Déjà Vu? Another Round of Tax Drama
According to the details in the report, Liu’s company – Shanghai Yixi Culture Media Center – allegedly cooked the books between 2020 and 2021.
Apparently, a hefty loan worth 3.3 million yuan was magically turned into “endorsement fees” and taxed at a sneaky 6% rate – instead of the much higher 27% personal income tax that should've applied.
If this is sounding familiar, that’s because it is. Liu's been through this rodeo before.
Back in 2002, she spent over a year behind bars (422 days to be exact) for a major tax evasion case that shook Chinese showbiz.
That incident left a lasting mark on her career, and now, with this new report, people are starting to wonder if history’s repeating itself.
Interestingly, sources close to Liu have pointed out that she apparently left the company in question way back in 2021. So whether she’s directly involved this time is still up in the air – but the timing of the complaint has raised quite a few eyebrows.
Netizens React: Coincidence or Calculated Timing?
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As soon as the news broke, it shot straight to the top of Weibo’s trending list.
But the internet’s split.
Some netizens are calling for a full-blown investigation – “rules are rules”, they say, no matter how famous you are. Others, though, think the whole thing’s a bit too convenient.
The Prisoner of Beauty has been absolutely smashing it since it premiered – fastest drama in 2025 to break 28,000 on Tencent, plus topping Kuyun and Baidu charts.
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So naturally, some fans suspect the timing of this scandal might be more about sabotaging the drama’s success than actual justice.
And here’s the thing – Liu’s role in the show isn’t even that central.
Unlike the female lead Song Zu’er, whose tax issues in the past caused real damage to another project, many are saying this latest controversy shouldn’t drag The Prisoner of Beauty down with it.
After all, grandma might have some juicy scenes, but she’s not the one carrying the plot.
So What’s Next?
As of now, Shanghai tax authorities haven’t released any further details, and Liu herself has stayed quiet.
Whether this ends up being a serious legal battle or another case of public trial by internet, one thing’s for sure – Liu Xiaoqing’s story is far from over, both on and off screen.
Even if she’s caught up in the scandal, the drama won’t be pulled from its airing schedule, as the alleged investigation has been ongoing since last year.
Since the drama is already airing and likely til its final episodes, it probably won’t be affected much.
The drama continues.