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| “Save the Chicken Leg for the Boys?” Zhu Dan’s Old-School Take Sparks Online Outrage |
Chinese actress and longtime TV presenter Zhu Dan is trending for all the wrong reasons once more, after comments she made on a reality show stirred up serious backlash.
At 43, Zhu Dan’s been in the game long enough to know a mic is never really off – and this time, viewers say her words smack of gender bias.
The ‘Chicken Leg for Boys’ Debacle 🍗
It all kicked off on reality show 50km Taohuawu (Wonderland), where cast members were making dinner together.
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Actress Ning Jing was prepping chicken soup when Zhu Dan piped up, saying, "The didi (younger brothers) Zhou Yiran and Dong Sicheng can have the chicken legs, and Ouyang Didi and Ning Jing can take the wings.”
That didn’t sit quite right with Ning Jing, who quipped that chicken legs are usually saved for the favourite person. She then asked point-blank if Zhu Dan prefers boys. Zhu’s reply? “A little.” Her logic: “The boys are still growing.”
Netizens were not impressed. Even 24-year-old Zhou Yiran dryly pointed out that he's long past the age where growth spurts happen. Though Zhu later offered the chicken leg to Ouyang Didi, the youngest girl in the group, the damage was done.
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Old-School Asian Parenting? Viewers Say Yes
Once the clip went viral, the internet detectives got to work – and more eyebrow-raising moments from Zhu Dan’s past came bubbling up.
On another variety show, she shared that her 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son were enrolled in the same class. The twist? She arranged for her daughter to help care for her little brother at school. “She brings him to class, feeds him, even teaches him maths,” Zhu Dan beamed. “It’s like a mum carrying her son.”
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That comment raised more than a few red flags. Actor Wang Yanlin, who also has a daughter, immediately said he’d never put that kind of responsibility on a child.
Netizens echoed his concerns, accusing Zhu of pushing old-fashioned gender expectations – where girls mature early to ‘look after’ boys, and boys get the best bits just for existing.
Netizens: “This Ain’t the 80s, Zhu Jie”
Comments online have been swift and brutal. Some called it “casual sexism wrapped in tradition,” while others said they were disappointed to hear this mindset from a female public figure in 2025.
A few did jump to Zhu Dan’s defence, suggesting the show may have edited the footage for drama. Still, the overall sentiment? She's not reading the room.
To make matters worse, this isn't Zhu Dan's first brush with controversy. She’s become something of a regular on gossip circuits – from misnaming celebrities to making odd parenting remarks that leave people scratching their heads.
Zhu Dan has been married to actor Zhou Yiwei since 2017. The couple share two children – a daughter and a son – who, if netizens had their way, would be raised with a little more equality in the family dinner queue.