Chinese actress Zhao Lusi has broken her silence on the matters surrounding her health and rumours of being abused. Photos: Zhao Lusi/Weibo
Popular Chinese actress Zhao Lusi has addressed the concerns regarding her health and the claim about being abused by her former employer in a Weibo post on Jan 1.
The statement comes after she was seen in a wheelchair at a hospital and a day after an anonymous individual, claiming to be Zhao’s friend, alleged that the 26-year-old had been abused by her previous employer.
Breaking her silence, Zhao revealed that she has been battling depression since 2019 and had endured repeated verbal and physical abuse in the past.
She also included photos documenting her recovery, revealing that her weight had been 36.9kg at one point.
“In 2019, I began experiencing depressive symptoms. People told me things like ‘Stop making a big deal out of it’ and ‘Think positively, and everything will be fine’.
“I thought I was being overly sensitive and didn’t take my mental health seriously,” she wrote.
The 26-year-old weighed 36.9kg at one point.
Zhao shared that she developed a skin allergy in 2021 and began suffering from a range of illnesses over the years, including pneumonia, hearing loss, hives, nausea and neck pain.
The Hidden Love (2023) star was also coping with the loss of a loved one and cancer diagnoses within her family.
“The magnitude of these events overshadowed my emotions, and I continued to ignore my own problems,” she said.
Zhao then opened up about her past experiences with abuse, adding that she was often labelled as “useless” and a “pretty face” in her childhood years.
Zhao developed a skin allergy in 2021 and began experiencing a range of illnesses over the years.
“During after-school tutoring, a teacher once hit me in the dorm. I thought it was justified as I wasn’t performing well academically and didn’t dare speak up. I thought I was the problem.
“As I grew older, I was beaten again for failing an audition. I thought it was my fault, so I stayed silent, just wanting to escape. I was used to handling everything on my own and never sought help,” she shared.
Zhao added that she only gained the confidence to say goodbye to that chapter in her life after her work started getting recognition.
The actress is known for her roles in The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020), which earned her the Best 2020 Wenrong Awards, as well as The Long Ballad (2021), Who Rules The World (2022) and The Story Of Pearl Girl (2024), among others.
Zhao was honoured with the Asian Star Prize at the 2021 Seoul International Drama Awards for her performance in 'The Long Ballad'. Photo: Handout
Zhao alleged that her former employer demanded a substantial sum of money before allowing her to leave the company.
“Even then, she continued slandering and spreading rumours about me both inside and outside the industry,” she said, adding that each incident only exacerbated her distress.
Zhao shared that she never talked about her illness before as she didn’t want it to be labelled as a “publicity stunt”.
However, she felt the need to raise awareness given the current circumstances.
“Depression is a medical condition which cannot be resolved by simply ‘thinking positively’ or ‘talking it out’,” she said.
Zhao concluded her post by thanking everyone for their concerns, adding: “Because of love, I’ve lived once more. Wishing you all a Happy New Year filled with endless happiness.”
Those suffering from mental health issues or contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999/019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim’s (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) family, social and community care centre (0111-959 8214 on WhatsApp); and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929, or click here for a full list of numbers nationwide and operating hours, or email sam@befrienders.org.my).
