Recently, mainland Chinese actor Zhang Ruoyun, who rose to fame with the TV drama “Joy of Life,” was photographed driving a sports car with the window down, smoking inside the car, and casually throwing the cigarette butt out of the window. The video footage of this incident sparked a heated discussion, leading to a sharp decline in his image. In response, he quickly issued an apology on Weibo.
Zhang Ruoyun, starring in the second season of “Joy of Life,” which premiered this year, has achieved high viewership ratings, surpassing dramas led by Zhao Liying and Lin Gengxin in “The Story of Minglan,” as well as “The Blooms at Ruyi Pavilion” starring Tang Yan. He has been hailed as the “drama king” of 2024. However, his typically positive image took a hit when he was spotted driving a Ferrari and engaging in behavior that drew public scrutiny.
On that day, Zhang Ruoyun was wearing a black fisherman’s hat, a black mask, a black overcoat, and black and white sneakers. He was seen smoking as he walked towards his parked car, opened the door, and got in. After taking his last puff, he casually tossed the cigarette butt out of the window with his left hand, without properly extinguishing it, sparking backlash and criticism.
Some netizens angrily criticized him for lacking public morality as a public figure and disregarding the safety of others, especially considering Beijing’s dry winter weather where a discarded cigarette butt could potentially cause a fire. Additionally, netizens pointed out that the sports car Zhang Ruoyun was driving appeared to be a Ferrari 488 Pista Spider, with a market price reaching up to 4.5 million Chinese yuan, equivalent to the cost of an apartment in a prime urban area, leading to accusations of him being out of touch with common people’s struggles.
Facing the wave of criticism, Zhang Ruoyun promptly issued an apology on Weibo, saying, “I’m very sorry for setting a wrong example with my behavior! I will correct my mistakes, strictly regulate my own conduct, and accept everyone’s supervision and criticism.” Despite his swift apology in an attempt to calm the storm, his image has already been tarnished. Within the mainland’s critical environment, his commercial endorsements and entertainment career are likely to suffer repercussions.