Who is Trying to Ruin the 'four Thousand Year Beauty'? Ju Jingyi's 24-hour Ordeal

Yu Menglong has been gone for 100 days. (Screenshot from the internet)

[People News] On the last day of March, Ju Jingyi, once celebrated as the 'four thousand year beauty', became embroiled in a public scandal over alleged tax evasion. Just when the public thought another top-tier celebrity was on the verge of a downfall, the narrative took a dramatic turn within 24 hours. At the heart of this controversy is a fierce battle over a breach of contract penalty amounting to 300 million. Many may recall that Yu Menglong also found himself trapped in a contract with an astronomical penalty. Today, the same 'capital logic' continues to persist and evolve.

Who is trying to ruin the 'four thousand year beauty'? Ju Jingyi's 24-hour ordeal (video)

On March 31, this was supposed to be a pivotal moment for the promotion of Ju Jingyi's new drama 'Moon Scale and Beautiful Chronicles', but it turned into a 'life and death game' for her. As the topic of 'real-name reporting Ju Jingyi for tax evasion' surged to the top of trending searches, public sentiment spiralled out of control. Let's take a moment to outline the timeline of events.

March 30: An individual reported Ju Jingyi for tax evasion to the tax bureau under their real name.

March 31 morning: The details of the report were leaked online, causing a significant uproar, with accusations directed at Siba Media.

March 31, noon: Ju Jingyi's studio released a statement denying the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against Siba.

March 31 evening: Siba issued a statement denying the report and counter-accused that someone was 'shifting the blame'.

March 31 night: The tax department released a notice, 'clearing' Ju Jingyi's name and bringing this farce to a close.

The Shanghai Municipal Taxation Bureau's Inspection Bureau released an official statement at around 7 PM on the 31st, clearly indicating that the tax authorities have received multiple relevant reports since September 2025. However, after thorough investigation, no tax-related issues mentioned in the reports were found. More importantly, this so-called 'real-name report' is merely a rehash of matters that have already been resolved; without new evidence, the tax authorities will not accept it at all.

This statement undoubtedly clears Ju Jingyi of any suspicion and reveals a disturbing reality: someone is attempting to wield tax reporting as a 'nuclear weapon' to launch a devastating public opinion assault on the artist just before the show's premiere.

So, who is orchestrating this behind the scenes? The first entity that comes to mind is her former employer, Siba Media. Although Siba's statement asserts, 'The reporter is not me,' the content of their statement raises three pointed questions about Ju Jingyi's financial transparency while simultaneously denying the report. This tactic, described by industry analysts as 'hitting the cow across the mountain,' appears to be a superficial attempt to distance themselves while actually exacerbating the situation.

Why have both parties reached this point? This leads us to the contract termination dispute valued at 300 million RMB, which has been ongoing for over two years and serves as a critical test of fairness in contracts within the domestic entertainment industry.

The crux of the dispute between the two parties centres on a '20-year renewal agreement.' Ju Jingyi maintains that the original contract expired in June 2024, while Si Ba has produced a supplementary agreement asserting that the management rights have been extended to 2033. However, is the signature on this supplementary agreement authentic? The court has twice commissioned authoritative institutions to conduct handwriting analysis, but both results indicated that they were 'unable to determine whether the signature was written by the individual.'

Even more alarming is the reality of income distribution. Si Ba claims to have paid Ju Jingyi 139 million yuan before tax over the past decade, but Ju's representatives counter that this figure merely reflects the company's gross revenue, not her personal net income.

Reports indicate that Ju Jingyi's actual share within the company is only between 15% and 20%, significantly lower than the typical 30% to 50% share for leading artists. Former teammate Zeng Yanfen even confirmed that a million yuan fee might only result in 90,000 yuan for Ju, a ratio that borders on exploitation, with capital operating like a 'juicer.'

Ju Jingyi's predicament has drawn comparisons to Yu Menglong. It is rumoured that the 'exploitative contract' that Yu Menglong had during his lifetime caused considerable controversy. This contract required artists to accept any work assigned by the company, granting the company the right to use the artist's image and name without compensation, and even to create and manage the artist's social media accounts. If an artist wished to terminate the contract, the penalty calculation was reportedly more severe than that of underground moneylenders: the highest monthly income multiplied by 12, then multiplied by the remaining contract years, plus project claims. According to rough calculations by netizens, the penalty could potentially reach as high as 200 million yuan.

Currently, Ju Jingyi is facing a claim of 300 million yuan. Does this also validate the reality of Yu Menglong's 200 million yuan penalty?

On March 31, Ju Jingyi shared a promotional post for her new drama, stating: 'In my life, I have been created and manipulated; this time I want to be my true self.' This statement conceals a wealth of unspoken bitterness and repression, reflecting the inner struggles of countless artists ensnared in 'contracts of servitude.'

Why do investors prefer to sign long-term contracts? Because artists are viewed not as 'people,' but as 'financial products.' Capital invests when the artist is just 20 years old, locking them in for two decades. Once you achieve fame, you become their cash cow; if you wish to leave, you become their adversary. Today, Ju Jingyi is confronted with an upgraded form of 'capital encirclement.'

From Yu Menglong to Ju Jingyi, we can identify three primary tactics that capital employs to control artists:

1. High penalty fees: imposing debts that an artist can never repay throughout their life.

2. Copyright freezing: I may have filmed your drama, but I would rather not air it than allow your commercial value to be realised. Guo Jingming's 'Moon Scale and Beautiful Chronicles' and the S+ series, which cost hundreds of millions to produce, have now become 'sacrificial offerings' in the capital game.

3. Tax reporting: This is the ultimate weapon. The company possesses financial records from the past decade, and when they turn against the artist, they can report that the artist 'concealed 88% of their income.' This type of 'self-destructive' reporting essentially conveys: if I can't have it, no one else will.

Now, let’s explore further: who is truly behind Siba Media? Founded in 2010, Siba Media is chaired by Wang Jing. Behind them are Beijing Innovation Ark Technology Co., Ltd. and Chinese Cultural Media Limited (CMC), among others. The entry of these top financial entities into the entertainment industry brings with it a chilling logic: return on investment.

Take a look at this data: the annual report from Siba Media reveals that the number of insured individuals has dramatically decreased from 209 in 2023 to just 2 by 2025. What does this signify? It signifies that this once-thriving 'idol empire' is collapsing alongside the domestic entertainment industry.

As the company struggles with mismanagement and Wang Jing faces the downfall of his capital empire, long-standing shareholders are eager to offload their shares for cash. The once-admired beauty Ju Jingyi, who was once celebrated, is now viewed as little more than a lifeless figure, becoming the last 'lifeline' on the company's financial statements. They are seeking 300 million, not because Ju Jingyi owes them that amount, but because the company requires this sum to address its capital shortfall. This illustrates the harsh reality of capital: even as I wither, I will still uproot you, this flourishing flower, along with me.

(First published in People News)
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