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| Fans Rally Around Lu Yuxiao After Actress Deletes ‘Dear You’ Screening Photos and Apologises. (Credits: Weibo) |
Lu Yuxiao somehow managed to trigger one of the most unnecessary online debates in Chinese entertainment this week simply by posting a casual cinema update.
The actress uploaded daily photos from her routine activities, including snaps from a screening of the film Dear You, only for the situation to spiral into apologies, fan wars, copyright discussions and thousands of comments questioning whether people had perhaps become slightly too serious about a movie photo.
The controversy began after the actress shared cinema images containing screen footage from the film. Not long after the post gained attention, criticism started pouring in from some viewers who argued that uploading screen captures from a cinema was inappropriate and disrespectful to filmmakers.
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| Lu Yuxiao’s Movie Post Turns Into Unexpected Promotion for ‘Dear You’ |
Following the backlash, Lu Yuxiao quickly edited the post, removing the footage and replacing it with an official still from the movie instead.
Then came the apology.
In a statement posted on social media, the actress admitted her actions were inappropriate and apologised directly to the film’s production team as well as the public.
She wrote that she had reflected seriously on the matter and acknowledged that her behaviour could negatively affect both the creators and her supporters. She also expressed hope that the “warm and heartfelt” film would continue reaching more viewers.
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| Lu Yuxiao Accidentally Gives ‘Dear You’ Huge Publicity Push After Viral Movie Post Controversy |
Ironically, that final line became the exact reason many Chinese netizens started defending her.
According to a large number of Cnetz reactions, the controversy unintentionally gave Dear You more publicity than many official campaigns manage in weeks.
Several users pointed out that they had not even heard of the film until the discussion exploded online. One viral comment bluntly read: “Well at least we know that thing exists. I’d never heard about the random movie and wouldn’t know it existed if it wasn’t for Lu Yuxiao.”
Another user joked that the film team should “send her flowers instead of criticism” because the actress had indirectly introduced the movie to millions of followers for free. In the hyper-competitive Chinese film market, where dozens of productions fight for public attention every month, accidental promotion apparently counts as a valuable survival skill now.
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| Chinese Movie ‘Dear You’ Gets Free Promotion From Lu Yuxiao After Viral Cinema Post |
Others took the opportunity to turn the debate into an impromptu movie review section. One viewer commented that they watched the film with a friend and “didn’t see the hype”, giving it a brutally cold “3.5 out of 10”.
Another user said the opening scenes contained suggestive moments that felt awkward for family viewing, adding that certain sequences seemed unnecessary. Chinese internet discussions rarely stay focused on one issue for more than ten minutes, so the debate naturally transformed into half copyright argument, half public review forum.
A noticeable portion of fans felt sympathy toward Lu Yuxiao, arguing that the actress has faced unusually heavy criticism in recent months regardless of what she does online.
“This girl gets criticised no matter what lately,” one comment read. Others argued that her post was clearly not malicious and that the reaction became far bigger than the original mistake itself.
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| Lu Yuxiao Accidentally Helps Promote Chinese Movie ‘Dear You’ to Millions of Fans |
One particularly viral comment summed up the mood across much of Chinese social media with sharp sarcasm, as a Cnetz joked: “Perhaps, the marketing team should pay Lu Yuxiao for promoting it.”
The remark quickly spread across discussion threads, with many users agreeing that the actress had unintentionally given Dear You a level of online exposure that studios usually spend massive budgets trying to achieve. Others laughed that the controversy itself probably generated more curiosity around the film than traditional advertising campaigns ever could.