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| “Unfair and Disrespectful”: Yan Haoxiang Fans Fume Over iQIYI Intern’s Blunder on The Rap of China 2025 (Weibo) |
The now-deleted post read:
“His fans are still lacking—likes are nowhere near Deng DianGuo’s level. Not impressive.”
Needless to say, fans didn’t take that lightly. The comment spread like wildfire and sparked a swift backlash, with many accusing the production team of deliberately belittling both Yan Haoxiang and his loyal fandom.
For context: Yan isn’t just a guest on the show—he’s a star producer and mentor this season. He’s been pulling in major traffic for The Rap of China 2025, but fans say he’s barely getting any screen time or promotional backing in return. Add this public dig on top, and tensions boiled over.
Apology from the Top – But Will It Be Enough?
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On 15 June, iQIYI’s Vice President Chen Di (better known online as “San Tiao”) stepped in to publicly apologise.
“This was an unfair, disrespectful, and inappropriate statement toward Mr. Yan Haoxiang, his hardworking team, and the viewers. I sincerely apologise.”
Chen went on to say the post was made by an inexperienced intern who somehow had access to the official account. While taking responsibility for the slip-up, he also admitted that management loopholes were what allowed the comment to be published in the first place.
He laid out three corrective actions:
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A written and face-to-face apology to Yan and his team.
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Firing the staffer who made the post.
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Reworking their content approval process to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.
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Fans Still Skeptical: “Don’t Just Apologise, Fix It”
While some fans welcomed the apology, others weren’t entirely convinced. It’s already the second public apology involving Yan Haoxiang and the show, and patience is wearing thin. Many fans are calling this yet another “PR bandage” instead of a real solution.
Among the top demands from netizens:
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End the malicious or dismissive editing
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Give Yan equal and fair screen time
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Improve promotional support for all mentors and artists
One trending comment put it bluntly: “Stop disrespecting the people who are making your show relevant.”
This incident has touched a nerve not just for Yan Haoxiang’s fans, but for viewers who expect professionalism and fairness from big-name productions. Whether iQIYI actually learns from this or not—time (and future episodes) will tell.