Chinese actor Cheng Yi recently became the center of online discussions after a controversy regarding his actual birth year emerged. While fans were already discussing the matter, an explanation from her former manager only seemed to escalate the situation.
The controversy began when a court document circulated on social media revealed that Cheng Yi had dropped a lawsuit against a netizen who allegedly posted false information about him. However, what attracted attention was the date of birth reported in the document: April 13, 1989. For years the actor publicly declared that he was born on May 17, 1990.
Although the difference is only about a year, the issue has attracted attention because it affects how actors are classified within the Chinese entertainment industry. In China, actors are often grouped by generation based on their year of birth. Those born between 1990 and 1994 are generally classified as part of the “post-90s” generation, and Cheng Yi has long been placed in that category alongside stars like Xiao Zhan, Bai Jingting, Lu Han and Yang Yang.
If the birth year listed in the court document was accurate, Cheng Yi would instead belong to the eldest “post-85” group, often compared to actors such as Lin Gengxin, Jing Boran, Luo Yunxi and Chen Xiao. For this reason, some netizens speculated that his management company might have changed his age to give him a greater advantage in the highly competitive entertainment industry, as the “post-90s” The group of actors includes many extremely popular names.
As the debate intensified, Cheng Yi’s former manager stepped forward to offer an explanation. According to the manager, Cheng Yi was physically taller and more mature than most children his age when he was little. His family therefore allowed him to start primary school a year earlier than usual.
Due to school enrollment requirements, the family allegedly altered his official family registration documents to make him appear one year older. The manager insisted that Cheng Yi was actually born in 1990 and that the earlier date appearing in official documents was simply the result of administrative changes made during childhood.
The manager also added that the reason why the issue has attracted so much attention is because Cheng Yi has become such a well-known figure. However, instead of calming the situation, the explanation sparked even more debate among netizens regarding the actor’s true birth year.
Sources: HHT
