Chinese actress Yan Xuejing (闫学晶) has been forced into damage control mode after telling viewers in a livestream that ‘hundreds of thousands of yuan’ a month is not enough to support a family in Beijing, arguing households need RMB 800,000 to RMB 1 million (US$115,000 – US$144,000) a year to ‘operate’. The remarks triggered boycotts of products she was promoting, brand exits, and public apologies.
Yan Xuejing’s ‘hundreds of thousands’ a month just isn’t enough’ moment didn’t explode because people suddenly discovered Beijing is expensive. It blew up because she accidentally stepped on the one landmine Chinese audiences are increasingly intolerant of: rich people presenting their reality as the default setting.
Her claim that a family needs RMB 800,000 to RMB 1 million a year to operate wasn’t heard as budgeting advice. It landed as a worldview – one where normal life is framed as a cashflow problem and where ‘ordinary’ incomes are treated as a failure to meet the minimum standard. In an economy where many households are watching every yuan, that’s not out of touch. It’s insulting.
The platform context sharpened the backlash. Yan’s fanbase is concentrated on an app built for lower-tier cities and rural users – the same audiences who made her famous through roles in down-to-earth, rural-life dramas. In other words, her brand equity is relatability. When she talks like a high-income insider, the betrayal feels like a knife in the ribs.
The backlash was unforgiving. Boycott calls grew out of comments and into brand boardrooms. It’s been reported that brands have cut ties, but none have confirmed this yet. Perhaps most unforgiving of all, platforms have restricted users from following her. In a public apology letter, Yan Xuejing has come out ashamed, saying: ‘I forgot my roots.’
