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| Chen Duling Falls Asleep During Makeup, But C-Netz Focus on Pay Gap Instead of Sympathy. (Credits: Sina Ent) |
As new Chinese drama Ashes to Crown (翘楚) officially premiered, Chen Duling unexpectedly found herself at the centre of a social media storm after her studio released a behind-the-scenes video showing the actress asleep in a makeup chair. The clip was intended as a celebration of the drama surpassing two million reservations and a glimpse into the demanding filming schedule behind the production. Instead, it quickly turned into one of the most debated celebrity topics online, with many viewers questioning whether the post was an attempt to gain sympathy rather than admiration.
The viral footage showed the 32-year-old actress fast asleep while makeup artists continued working around her. In one particularly discussed moment, a staff member could be seen gently supporting her head while the makeup process continued.
The image was meant to highlight long working hours and exhaustion during filming, but the internet had very different ideas about how it should be interpreted.
Rather than expressing concern, a large number of Chinese netizens shifted the conversation towards the growing discussion surrounding the wealth gap between celebrities and ordinary workers.
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| ‘I Wish I Could Sleep at Work’: Chen Duling Studio Post Backfires as Cnetz Push Back |
Many argued that public sympathy becomes harder to generate when audiences associate major stars with enormous earnings and luxurious lifestyles.
Comments quickly flooded social media platforms, with users sarcastically writing that they would happily lose sleep too if they were earning celebrity-level pay. Others joked that their biggest workplace dream was simply being allowed to nap during office hours without getting into trouble.
Some reactions were even more pointed. Several users claimed they felt more sympathy for the makeup artist holding Chen Duling's head than for the actress herself. Others questioned the timing of the release, noting that the video appeared just as Ashes to Crown was launching and suggesting it looked more like a promotional strategy than an authentic behind-the-scenes moment.
The phrase "selling misery" soon became attached to the controversy, with critics accusing entertainment agencies of repeatedly using exhaustion narratives to market stars as hardworking and relatable.
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Of course, not everyone agreed with the criticism. Fans argued that exhaustion is exhaustion regardless of income and that actors often endure long shooting schedules, overnight filming sessions and constant travel commitments.
Many fans felt the reaction had become unnecessarily harsh and pointed out that the original video was relatively harmless compared with many celebrity controversies that regularly dominate entertainment headlines.
As the discussion continued to gain traction, the person who unexpectedly became central to the story decided to speak up. Chen Duling's longtime makeup artist publicly addressed the controversy and offered her own version of events.
According to her statement, she was actually the one who encouraged the actress to rest during the session. She explained that after years of working together, they had developed a comfortable and trusting professional relationship.
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| Chen Duling’s Makeup Artist Responds After Viral Sleep Video Sparks Controversy |
The makeup artist revealed that she had told Chen Duling to "sleep without worries" and reassured her that she would wake up looking beautiful once the makeup was finished.
Because of that trust, the actress relaxed and eventually fell asleep with her chin resting in the artist's hand. She described the moment as something warm and healing rather than burdensome and admitted she never expected the video to generate such a strong reaction online.
In her post, she also stressed that Chen Duling had never caused her any inconvenience. Instead, she described the incident as a natural example of the relaxed understanding they share after years of collaboration.
She added that both she and the actress felt somewhat embarrassed after seeing the heated online debate and hoped people would show a little more kindness before jumping to conclusions.
Meanwhile, despite the online debate, Chen Duling remains focused on her acting projects. Her latest costume drama Ashes to Crown is currently streaming on Youku, where viewers can watch her take on a brand-new role as the series begins its broadcast run.