Vicki Zhao sued over business dispute

China ― Vicki Zhao Wei has been embroiled with controversy recently with China’s recent crackdown on the showbiz industry. Zhao seems to be in even more trouble now.

Based on China’s National Business Daily, the Chinese actress and her businessman husband Huang Youlong and Giant Interactive Group chairman Shi Yuzhu have been sued by China Minsheng Trust, a trust and investment management company.

On Oct 9, the court notice released stated that the case involved a dispute over a contract of guarantee, with the court hearing scheduled on Nov 8 at the No. 4 Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing.

Besides that, there is no additional information about the case that was disclosed in the court notice. It is also not certain if Zhao or her husband will attend the hearing, reported the Straits Times.

It is not the first time the 45-year-old actress has been involved in a legal tussle with China Minsheng Trust. Zhao and Hebao Entertainment Group were sued by China Minsheng Trust in June, also over a dispute over a contract of guarantee.

Based on court information, it has been revealed that Zhao’s 4.15 per cent stake in Hebao, involving a capital of 5 million yuan (SGD1.05 million), has been frozen.

According to National Business Daily, the seven remaining companies under Zhao’s name, her stakes in five of them, including Hebao, were frozen in April.

The actress shot to stardom after her portrayal of the feisty Little Swallow in the period drama My Fair Princess (1998). She has not been seen in public after she was scrubbed from the Chinese Internet in late August.

Zhao’s works were also deleted from Chinese video streaming platforms, while a forum dedicated to her on Weibo was also shut down.

There were claims that the actress was under house arrest while others said she had left for France where she owns vineyards with her husband.

In early October, a list of 25 blacklisted artists was circulated, purportedly from official sources, with Zhao being blacklisted due to “political issues”. /TISG