Chinese actress Zhao Lusi breaks silence on alleged workplace physical and mental abuse
Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of depression and abuse.
Chinese actress Zhao Lusi, known for her roles in Hidden Love and Dating in the Kitchen, recently broke her silence about her health status and the alleged abuse received from her company.
In a letter posted on Weibo, the actress revealed health issues caused by alleged physical and verbal abuse from her management. She included also photos from her recovery.
According to the actress, she battled with depression in 2019, but ignored it as she thought during that time that she was "too hypocritical and too sensitive."
"In 2019, I became depressed and said, 'Don't make a fuss,' 'Everything will be fine if you think about it.' I also feel that I am too hypocritical and too sensitive and do not pay attention to my psychological problems," she revealed, adding that over the years she experienced various illnesses, such as allergy, anxiety, pneumonia, hearing loss, hives, nausea, and neck pain.
"I also dealt with the loss of loved ones and cancer diagnoses within my family, all in quick succession. But the magnitude of these events overshadowed my feelings, leading me to continue ignoring my own problems," she added.
Zhao disclosed that she was abused by a teacher as a child, and now, encountered similar experiences while pursuing her acting career.
"When I grew up, I was beaten again. I thought it was my fault that I didn't get a chance to act in a play. I didn't dare to make a fuss. I just wanted to escape. I was used to handling my own affairs, and I didn't have the habit of asking anyone for help," she recounted.
She revealed more details of the alleged abuse, mentioning that the individual threatened to self-harm.
"In the end, she demanded a large 'contract termination fee' before finally stopping her cycles of crying, making scenes, and threatening self-harm. Even after, she continually slander[ed] and (spread) rumors about me, both inside and outside the industry. Numerous people reached out to gossip after hearing these stories. Every incident deepened my pain, and the harm caused still has not stopped," she recalled, adding that she never mentioned her illness in the previous years as she "didn't want it to be used as a publicity stunt" or "hype."
'Regret is a useless emotion'
Zhao said that depression is an "emotion" and a "disease" that cannot be solved by "thinking more open-mindedly" or "speaking out."
"I sincerely hope that you who 'feel the same' as me, whether you are truly 'understood' in such a situation is no longer important, and you will continue to be in the vortex of discussion, constantly proving yourself but unable to save yourself," the actress said.
"It is really important to understand mental illness and attach importance to psychotherapy. Regret is a useless emotion."
She concluded, "I am grateful for all the care, because love makes me live again. I wish you all a happy new year and happiness everyday."
It was on Dec. 18 when the Hidden Love actress was rushed to a hospital in Shanghai. Reports say that she had fainted due to overwork, speculating potential depression and aphasia, "a language disorder caused by damage to parts of the brain that control speech and understanding of language."
In response, her management team confirmed her health situation via Weibo on Dec. 27, stating that she was receiving medical care and would pause all work-related activities to prioritize recovery.
"Ms. Zhao Lusi has always adhered to the original intention of an actor, cherishing every opportunity to perform and treating every work with heart. Next, we will take Ms. Zhao Lusi's health as the primary consideration and suspend all subsequent work," it wrote.
Meanwhile, her father and her close friend, actress Wei Xiao, revealed that she is making gradual progress in her recovery as she has begun speech therapy and physical rehabilitation to regain mobility.
"[She] hopes that everyone can be reassured. She is slowly starting to speak and has begun physical rehabilitation," Wei Xiao posted, adding that there is "someone" who will take responsibility and provide a clear explanation of what happened.
Zhao, also known as Rosy Zhao, is known for her roles in various Chinese series and films, including The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020), Dating in the Kitchen (2020), The Long Ballad (2021), Who Rules The World (2022), Love Like the Galaxy (2022), Hidden Love (2023) and The Story of Pearl Girl (2024), to name a few.
