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| Zeng Yanfen Breaks Silence on Ju Jingyi Dispute, Says SNH48 Lost AKB48’s Core Values (Photo: Sohu) |
Former SNH48 member Zeng Yanfen has once again drawn public attention after openly addressing the ongoing controversy involving Ju Jingyi and management company Siba Media. Her latest statements paint a broader picture of long-standing structural issues within the group, questioning whether SNH48 still upholds the values it once claimed to inherit from AKB48.
Zeng Yanfen firmly stated that Ju Jingyi had never seen the so-called additional agreement now being disputed, calling the situation deeply unclear and unfair to young performers who often lack bargaining power.
In her view, such practices create confusion and place idols at a disadvantage before they even realise what they have signed up for.
Reflecting on her own journey, Zeng Yanfen shared that she joined the “48” family because she believed in the AKB48 philosophy — one centred on growth, opportunity, and mutual respect between idols, management, and fans. However, after SNH48 became independent from AKB48 in June 2016, it began doing whatever it could to retain its most popular members, including offering extremely long-term contracts and registering their names, images, and rights even after graduation — a move that went against AKB48’s original approach.
Over time, however, she felt the reality inside the company no longer matched those ideals.
“I joined 48 because of AKB’s philosophy, but later I realised our values were completely different,” she said.
According to Zeng Yanfen, the issue went beyond strict management.
She criticised what she described as a lack of respect not only towards members, but also towards fans who were expected to spend heavily to support their favourites.
She recalled situations where supporters had to queue for long hours under intense heat during handshake events, sometimes to the point of collapsing, yet were still treated coldly.
Zeng Yanfen also shared a personal incident that left a lasting impression. She revealed that she was once harshly reprimanded and fined several thousand yuan simply for signing a fan’s bag — despite earning only a modest monthly salary at the time.
The punishment, she said, felt wildly disproportionate and deeply discouraging.
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During her more than four years performing in the theatre, Zeng Yanfen described giving everything she had and treating the stage like a second home.
What she experienced instead, she claimed, was ongoing pressure, repeated scoldings, and a working environment that felt anything but supportive.
She further alleged that she had once been accused of wrongdoing she insists never happened. The punishment was announced publicly, her social media access was altered, her salary was stopped, and she felt gradually pushed towards leaving the group.
Despite all this, Zeng Yanfen said she tried to remain understanding. Coming from a modest background, she acknowledged the opportunity the company once gave her and expressed gratitude for being able to stand on stage at all.
When discussing management responsibility, Zeng Yanfen suggested that top leadership may not be aware of what happens on the ground. She believes problems arose as the company expanded rapidly, while internal systems failed to keep up.
“I still hope the company remembers the early days. When members were earning just 1,800 yuan a month, they worked tirelessly — performing, handing out flyers, pushing through injuries and exhaustion. If they want to leave, please allow them to do so properly.”
Zeng Yanfen urged the company to adopt a more humane approach and to learn from AKB48’s system, which allows members to grow, graduate, and move on with dignity.
She also addressed contract concerns directly, stating that second-generation SNH48 members signed eight-year contracts, with extensions only possible through formal, transparent renegotiations.
“There is no such thing as a 20-year contract. Any extension must be clearly explained and signed by both parties. Xiao Ju (Ju Jingyi) never saw that agreement — how is that fair to young girls?” she questioned.
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| Zeng Yanfen Breaks Silence on SNH48 Pay and Management Issues During Ju Jingyi Clash |
Zeng Yanfen added that once SNH48 formally separated from the AKB48 sister-group system, combined with what she described as a colder corporate attitude, she lost her motivation to remain with the group.
In a direct message to the company’s founder, Mr Wang, Zeng Yan Fen expressed hope that Ju Jingyi would be allowed to leave freely, believing that only then might former members one day reunite under better circumstances, as they once did during AKB’s 20th anniversary.
Following the release of her lengthy statement, Zeng Yanfen is now facing legal action. Siba Media, through Shanghai Tianshang Law Firm, issued an official response stating that “Zeng Yanfen” and other internet users have wantonly spread false information on Weibo and Xiaohongshu, including claims that the company had “arranged members to accompany clients for drinks”.
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The firm said these allegations seriously misrepresent the facts and constitute defamation and malicious slander against the company.
Zeng Yanfen Reveals Her SNH48 Earnings, Highlights Fan Sacrifice
Adding fuel to the discussion, Zeng Yanfen later published a detailed account of her earnings during her idol years, responding to public curiosity and online debate.
She revealed that upon debut in 2013, her monthly salary was 1,800 yuan. By 2015, after ranking ninth in the group’s election, her pay rose to around 8,000 yuan.
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In 2016, when she placed fourth, her monthly income increased to approximately 25,000–30,000 yuan, before settling at around 25,000 yuan in 2017, shortly before her departure.
However, Zeng Yanfen emphasised that these figures were only possible because of extraordinary fan spending.
She estimated that supporters spent over seven million yuan backing her in election campaigns, making it clear that her income was driven by fan dedication rather than company generosity.
She also revealed that while still active, she openly criticised a system that encouraged extreme competition and excessive consumption among fans. That stance, she believes, led to tension with management and contributed to her eventual marginalisation.
Responding to reactions online, Zeng Yanfen insisted she had no intention of harming anyone and stood by everything she shared. These, she said, were simply her lived experiences — the real reasons she chose to leave the idol world altogether.
Now living a quiet life away from the spotlight, Zeng Yanfen said she is no longer concerned with public judgement. What matters to her is addressing the wider misconception that people in entertainment automatically earn easy money, a belief she says often distracts from deeper questions about power dynamics and how young performers are treated behind the scenes.