In recent years, a harsh reality has become a hot topic on Chinese social media: when artists try to leave their management companies, they often suffer serious consequences. From frozen careers to financial ruin and damaged reputations, many celebrities have learned the hard way that hiring a powerful agency can seem “throwing eggs at a rock”. China’s entertainment industry is full of cases where famous actors and idols have paid a painful price for trying “divorce” their companies.
Recently, Ju Jingyi has become one of the most talked about names online as her conflict with management company Siba Media continues to escalate. Once considered Siba Media’s main asset, Ju Jingyi was widely seen as the pillar that single-handedly supported the company’s visibility and profits.
In June 2024, the the actress announced that her contract with Siba had expired, officially leaving the agency after a decade. Fans believed this marked the beginning of his independent journey, but Siba Media quickly objected.
According to Siba, the company signed an exclusive artist contract with Ju Jingyi on August 16, 2013, followed by a supplemental agreement on September 10, 2018. Siba claims that the contract grants them exclusive rights to use his name, image, likeness and voice until August 15, 2033, for a period of 20 years. Although the dispute was taken to court, authorities said they could not definitively verify whether the signatures on the disputed documents belonged to Ju Jingyi.
The situation worsened when Siba sued a magazine that collaborated with Ju Jingyi, demanding the removal of all his images and seeking 300,000 yuan in compensation. This marked the beginning of an all-out legal war.
Ju Jingyi accused Siba Media of contractual violations, exploitation, repression, extremely low pay and even falsification of additional contracts. Friends and aides also said the company abandoned her during a COVID infection and forced performers under her management to participate in inappropriate corporate entertainment.
Siba Media responded aggressively, accusing Ju Jingyi of betrayal and damaging the company’s reputation. They also disclosed his earnings, claiming that he earned over 139 million yuan in total, received a fixed monthly salary of 250,000 yuan, lived in a luxury riverside apartment in Shanghai, had a luxury car, and enjoyed covered travel and living expenses.
In his most dramatic moment, Siba released what many described as a “ultimatum,” claiming to have evidence of Ju Jingyi’s alleged involvement in serious economic crimes and threatening to report her to the authorities under her real name. Industry experts believe that with Siba’s vast legal experience – having taken more than 20 artists to court in the past decade and won almost every case – Ju Jingyi’s chances of a clear victory are slim.
Before Ju Jingyi, Zhao Lusi shocked the industry by openly accusing his agency, Galaxy Cool Entertainment. She alleged that in 2019 a senior manager verbally abused and psychologically tormented her for hours, including using physical force, leaving her emotionally devastated.
Zhao Lusi subsequently published a lengthy exposé accusing the company of oppression, unfair inferences, and threats of blacklisting. The consequences were brutal: Her team was dismantled, her operations were halted for nearly a year, her Weibo account with 31 million followers was deleted, and she faced massive public scrutiny and calls for a boycott.
Although Zhao Lusi was later cleared when evidence suggested her agency and rivals had spread defamatory rumors, insiders say she “victory” It came with strings attached. His contract with his parent company will reportedly remain valid until 2030, meaning his freedom is still limited despite the management changes.
Zhou Bichang
Singer Zhou Bichang rose to fame after winning second place in the Chinese singing competition Super girl in 2005 and signing with Tianyu Media. However, disputes over creative direction and income soon emerged. Reports revealed that Tianyu contracts split profits 70-30 in favor of the company.
After requesting fairer conditions and being refused, Zhou Bichang terminated her contract in December 2005 and was ordered to pay 5 million yuan in compensation. Although she managed to move forward, her career went into a long freeze and she never fully regained her peak popularity.
Chen Chusheng
Similarly, Chen Chusheng, another talent show winner under Tianyu, faced years of legal battles after trying to terminate his contract. He was ordered to pay a staggering 38 million yuan and endured three years of lawsuits that drained his finances and stalled his career. Only after the mediation of the industrial giant Huayi Brothers was the dispute finally concluded, at a huge cost.
Michelle Jiang
Born in 1997, actress Michelle Jiang gained popularity through several drama films, but suffered severe exploitation after signing with Heifang Jinyuan. For the first three years, he received only 10% of his earnings, increasing to 30% by the seventh year. After years of work, his overall income barely exceeded that of an average employee.
Financial difficulties and health problems followed, and when she turned down a project due to illness, the company sued her for nearly 6 million yuan. Although the court reduced the compensation to 1.5 million yuan, the burden was still overwhelming. Michelle Jiang eventually retired from the industry in 2018, leaving fans heartbroken.
