The mainland crime suspense drama “Bleach”, which wrapped up filming in April last year, finished airing in January this year. However, a video leaked on Weibo on the 22nd shows a female stand-in actress for the lead character Zhao Jinmai lying on the ground when a car appears to hit her head. The stand-in then starts crying loudly, raising concerns about the situation. Netizens criticized the production team for keeping this information under wraps for so long.
Starring mainland actors Guo Jingfei, Wang Qianyuan, and actress Zhao Jinmai, the popular iQIYI drama “Bleach” previously faced accusations of plagiarizing a deep investigative report titled “Bleach” published by Southern Metropolis Daily in 2012, sparking controversy. However, on February 22nd, a netizen exposed an incident on the set of “Bleach” where a car reportedly ran over the head of a stand-in actress, causing her to scream in pain at the scene.
In the video circulating on Weibo, the female stand-in was lying on the ground as a van approached at high speed, making a sharp turn but still forcefully impacting the stand-in’s head, resulting in her screaming in pain. The production crew immediately stopped filming and rushed to see what had happened.
According to multiple mainland media reports, the incident occurred at an outdoor filming location. Witnesses stated that during the shooting of an intense chase scene, a prop vehicle lost control and seemingly ran over the head of a female stand-in actress. The stand-in actress screamed in pain, causing a commotion on set. Subsequently, the production crew provided first aid and rushed the injured party to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.
After comparing the video to the plot of “Bleach,” viewers noticed that the license plate number of the vehicle involved in the accident matched the one used in the drama.
Following the video’s exposure, widespread attention and discussion were sparked among netizens, with many expressing shock at the dangerous situation and questioning the safety measures for stand-in actors, with comments like “Isn’t a stand-in’s life valuable too?” and “Couldn’t they have used other props?” Some believed that immediate medical attention should have been the priority instead of a crowd not knowing what to do.
However, one netizen downplayed the incident, stating that accidents on set are common, with the account named “Left Four Right Five” being identified as a producer of “Bleach”. Others questioned this stance, asking why the producer did not stand in for the extras and why stand-ins were used.
Under public pressure, the production team of “Bleach” issued a statement on their official Weibo account on the afternoon of the 22nd, clarifying that the leaked video dated back to April 7, 2024, during the filming of a car scene in Haikou, Hainan. The statement explained that a stunt performer drove a car past an actor lying on the ground, resulting in the actor suffering a minor abrasion on the arm. The production team promptly sent the actor to the hospital, where it was confirmed that there were no head injuries or impacts. After observation and confirmation of safety, the actor was sent back to the base for rest. The actor has since recovered and resumed normal work routines.