Once considered one of the brightest stars in China’s booming short film industry, Guo Yuxin is now at the center of a major controversy after a leaked private audio recording sparked widespread criticism on Chinese social media.
The 26-year-old actress, who has successfully transitioned from short-lived viral dramas to mainstream TV projects, is now facing what many Chinese media outlets describe as a career-threatening scandal.
According to Yule 360, a private conversation between Guo Yuxin and one of his staff members was recently leaked online. The recording, which lasts about 1 minute and 23 seconds, quickly rose to the top of China’s entertainment trending charts.
In the audio, Guo Yuxin is heard making insensitive comments about actress Zhou Ye. He allegedly suggested that Zhou Ye benefited from Guo Yuxin’s popularity after the two actresses were seen wearing the same luxury fashion design. The comments immediately sparked controversy, with many Internet users criticizing Guo Yuxin for speaking negatively about a fellow actress.
As the scandal intensified, netizens began dredging up Guo Yuxin’s previous interviews and videos. A resurfaced clip showed the actress saying she didn’t want to have a daughter, explaining that a daughter would compete with her for her husband’s affection. The remarks sparked further criticism, with many social media users accusing her of promoting outdated and problematic views, adding even more pressure to the growing controversy.
The situation was further aggravated after famous romance novelist and screenwriter Ye Feiye joined the discussion.
Ye Feiye, often referred to as the “Queen of Romance Novels,” had previously collaborated with Guo Yuxin on a successful adaptation that helped raise the actress’ profile. However, the partnership reportedly ended on bad terms. According to Ye Feite, shortly after the premiere of their drama, Guo Yuxin promoted another project he was filming instead of supporting the newly released series, which Ye Feiye considered unprofessional.
Ye Feiye later shared further accusations, claiming that Guo Yuxin had once complained that actors in mainstream television productions were taking on roles that should belong to professionally trained artists. “If those non-professional TV actors hadn’t played our roles, we professionally trained actors wouldn’t have ended up acting in short dramas,” Guo Yuxin was quoted as saying. The alleged comments further fueled online criticism.
Ye Feiye also said that Guo Yuxin often criticized other actors behind their backs and even pigeonholed the artists he had worked with.
According to Chinese newspaper Sohu, Ye Feiye claimed that Guo Yuxin once spent about 20 minutes publicly criticizing both the director and lead actor Yan Zixian while visiting the set of the short drama With Jin Chang’an. The accusation attracted particular attention because Yan Zixian had reportedly once saved Guo Yuxin’s life during an underwater filming scene.
According to 163, Guo Yuxin’s fall from grace was remarkably rapid. Born in 1999, she has earned a reputation as one of China’s best short film actresses, earning her the nickname “Queen of Short Films”. Many of her productions have reportedly amassed billions of views, making her one of the most bankable stars in the industry. Its success eventually opened doors to mainstream television productions, followed by several high-profile drama projects.
However, following the recent controversy, Chinese media have described his career as having collapsed “overnight”. For now, Guo Yuxin has remained silent, offering no public statement or explanation regarding the leaked audio or the mounting allegations surrounding it.
Sources: Znews
