More than a decade after her life was turned upside down, former model Heidi Yeh has found peace away from the limelight. Once a rising star in China’s modeling industry, she now lives quietly in her hometown of Nantou, taking care of her son and helping out in the family’s small shop, according to Oddity Central.
The scandal that changed her life began in 2012 when Heidi posed for a promotional photo for a plastic surgery clinic. The image depicted an attractive couple with three less conventionally attractive children, intended to illustrate the concept of cosmetic transformation. Originally intended for use in a magazine, the photo was later manipulated and repurposed by an advertising agency with the caption: “Plastic surgery: you can’t hide it forever.”
Soon after, the image went viral, falsely linked to a made-up story that a man had sued his wife for cheating on him with plastic surgery. Many believed Heidi was the woman in the fake article. Viral misinformation has caused immense damage. “Friends also asked me if I really had plastic surgery. My boyfriend at the time wanted to break up due to public pressure,” Heidi said in a 2015 BBC interview. “Clients stopped trusting me. I could only get minor advertising roles.”
Despite multiple requests to remove the manipulated image and misinformation, neither JWT (J. Walter Thompson), the advertising agency, nor Simple Beauty Clinic took action until Heidi held a public press conference. JWT claimed it had the rights to edit the photo, but Heidi’s legal team countered that this did not include redistribution by third parties.
Public response was mixed. Some have accused Heidi of exploiting the controversy for fame. She denied the allegations, saying she only wanted to protect her reputation and the dignity of the three children whose faces had been digitally altered in the image. “I can’t bear to look at that picture. One day, those children will grow up and this will hurt them.” he said.
These days Heidi keeps a low profile. He rarely posts on social media, and when he does, it’s usually random moments from his daily life or casual outings with friends. In June he made a rare public appearance at a fashion event hosted by a close friend. She joked that she still has a full figure, “but definitely not XS anymore.”
Before the scandal, Heidi Yeh had been praised for her fresh, angelic appearance and was gaining traction in both modeling circles and social media. He was an emerging talent whose trajectory was cut short by a single overused image.
Although the damning photo is still online, Heidi has chosen to reclaim her narrative. In a thoughtful post, he wrote, “I may not be able to control the Internet, but I can control how I live.”
Sources: Znews
