Chinese former table tennis world champion Zhang Jike, 35, is currently facing a scandal involving massive gambling debts and sharing of private videos of his ex-girlfriend, famous Chinese actress Jing Tian.
Jing Tian is a popular and highly regarded actress in China who has appeared in several international films, including the 2018 blockbuster movie Pacific Rim Uprising. Her talent and acting skills have earned her a significant fan base both in China and internationally.
The couple made their relationship public on March 2018 before splitting in June 2019. Zhang Jike has since been accused of handing over intimate photos and videos of Jing Tian as a pledge to his creditor due to massive debts accumulated by him.
The news was first shared on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, by investigative reporter Li Wei’ao, who later published a detailed article on the case on his official WeChat account.
Several brands, including China’s sports equipment MNC Anta Sports, FAW Toyota, NUTREND, and Nivea, have all severed ties with the player following the allegations.
Who Is Zhang Jike
For those out of the loop, Zhang Jike is one of the most well-known players in table tennis and has a significant fan base in China.
He has won three Olympic gold medals, was crowned world champion seven times, and has become a six-time ITTF World Cup singles and doubles champion.
He made his international debut in 2002 and gained fame for his impressive serves, forehand smashes, and backhand side twists, which dazzled opponents and fans alike.
His aggressive playing style helped him break into the top ten world rankings in 2010. He won the ITTF World Tour singles title thrice before winning the gold medal in the World Cup in 2010.
Additionally, he clinched six doubles titles on the ITTF tour and one in the Asian Games. He then won his first Olympic title in London in 2012.
The fame has made him one of China’s most commercially valuable sports stars. After retiring from sports, he transitioned to the entertainment industry.
They reported his annual income to amount to a whopping 60 million yuan (~S$11.6 million) in 2016, making him the second-highest earner in sports after swimming world champion Sun Yang.
Weibo Post by Li Wei’ao
It understandably came as a shock when Weibo posts made by reporter Li Wei’ao seemed to confirm the rumours surrounding Zhang Jike’s gambling debts.
The posts made the rumours go viral as Li Wei’ao is an award-winning veteran investigative journalist who has worked for several prominent Chinese news organisations for 20 years in the news industry.
According to him, he got involved in the case in 2020, where a man who claimed to be the creditor that had received the intimate videos contacted him.
He added that local friends told him that Zhang Jike owed a large amount of money to the creditor and gave the creditor several private videos of Jing Tian as a pledge that he would pay off the debts.
After Zhang Jike failed to do so, the creditor tried to blackmail Jing Tian for the money, but she reported him to the authorities, and they arrested him in February 2020.
This caused him to get charged with extortion, landing him a sentence of seven years in prison and a fine of 50,000 yuan (~S$9,677).
Denial of Rumour
After the rumours spread, Zhang Jike’s team took to Weibo on 1 April 2023 to refute the claims.
They made a statement claiming they had hired a lawyer to gather evidence and take legal action against those spreading false information.
The team also emphasised that Zhang Jike has no debt issues and has never violated someone’s privacy to further his own interests, claiming that the rumours are complete fabrications.
However, Li Wei’ao refuted this by posting a loan contract on Weibo.
The contract, which the creditor likely gave him, revealed that Zhang Jike was the borrower and had borrowed a huge sum of 5 million yuan.
According to the Shanghai Quandian Law Firm, if Zhang Jike provided private videos to his creditor with the intention of blackmailing his ex-girlfriend, he could be charged with extortion.
However, he would not be found guilty if he only gave the videos to the creditor without any intention of extorting the actress or committing any other illegal activities related to extortion.
Although they have not yet conducted a thorough investigation to confirm the rumours, many Chinese netizens are already convinced of the allegations. They are now calling for justice for actress Jing Tian.
This sentiment is likely bolstered by an episode of a reality show in which the 34-year-old actress discussed a painful experience from 2019, a year before the rumours spread, that left her feeling suffocated and unable to leave her room due to overwhelming emotions.
It is unclear what the exact cause of Jing Tian’s struggles was. However, she spoke of feeling scared to share her concerns with others, believing they would be dismissed and that no one could help her.
Netizens speculated that her struggles might have been related to Zhang Jike’s alleged actions, although this has not been confirmed.
In response to the allegations, China’s Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission (CPLC) has called for the relevant departments to investigate the incident and make the findings public as soon as possible.
The commission emphasised that equality under the law applies to all and that no one will receive special treatment regardless of status. The commission warned that they would not tolerate disinformation and slander either.