Video Meng Ziyi Shares Casting Rejection Over Her Beauty

Meng Ziyi’s “Too Beautiful” Casting Confession Goes Viral, Ignites Discussion on Industry Standards

Chinese actress Meng Ziyi has sent the internet into a right tizzy after admitting she once lost out on a role for, of all things, being too beautiful. The star, known for her striking looks since her breakout, spilled the beans on Phoenix TV’s Fei Chang Dao, explaining that a production crew had flat-out rejected her, telling her: “You’re too pretty for this role.”

In the chat, Meng Ziyi didn’t hide her bafflement. “You could say I wasn’t good enough yet, or you wanted a more popular actress. But if you tell me it’s because I’m too beautiful, then what’s actually wrong with being beautiful?” she asked bluntly.

She went on to stress that beauty is basically standard in the Chinese showbiz scene. “Everyone in this industry is beautiful in their own way. Pretty much all my close friends and colleagues are gorgeous,” she added, trying to keep it grounded.

Well, that bit of honesty set Weibo on fire under the hashtag #孟子义曾因为太漂亮失去角色, where netizens quickly piled in with mixed feelings. Some fans felt Meng was genuinely sharing a raw and awkward rejection — they argued that with her well-known looks, maybe that excuse was sincerely handed to her.

Watch the video:

https://t.co/hGYNL2f8yy pic.twitter.com/XMy855dPqz

— Atlantis (@nazenaise) July 1, 2025

But others were having none of it, mocking her story as a humblebrag. “Sounds just like when someone tells you ‘you’re too good for me’ to break up nicely,” one user wrote. 

Another joked, “If you didn’t get the part, just say so. There’s no need to pat yourself on the back with the ‘too beautiful’ line.”

Plenty also doubted the reason made sense at all: “Loads of actresses are beautiful and still get cast. Is that really why she was turned down?”

Yet some supporters defended her, insisting the snippet had been yanked out of context by social media. They pointed out Meng later clarified that she didn’t actually think she was some uniquely flawless goddess — she was simply repeating what was said to her, and reflecting on how tough and contradictory beauty standards can be in the entertainment world.

Regardless, the whole saga has sparked fresh debate on whether the obsession with physical appearance in China’s acting circles is a blessing or a curse. Meng Ziyi’s fans say she was just being honest about an industry catch-22, while critics reckon she came off as a bit too pleased with herself.

Either way, you can’t deny it’s got everyone talking — turns out being beautiful really can be double-edged.