A woman in China has gone viral after allegedly paying to become the lead actress in a short-form drama and insisting on including more than 60 kissing scenes with her chosen male co-star.
The unusual production has sparked widespread discussion online after the male lead accused his co-star of inappropriate behaviour during filming.
Investor Allegedly Cast Herself as Female Lead
According to Chinese media cited by Lianhe Zaobao, the woman, who reportedly presented herself as a wealthy investor, approached a production company to create a customised short-form drama.
She allegedly financed the project before casting herself as the female lead, portraying a princess in a series spanning more than 50 episodes.
The woman was also said to have personally selected the actor to play her romantic counterpart, who portrayed a “fallen prince”.
However, the production reportedly became controversial after she allegedly demanded that the script include more than 60 kissing scenes, resulting in intimate moments appearing throughout the series.
Male Actor Claims He Was Uncomfortable
Lead actor Zhong Yufei later posted a video online claiming he felt uncomfortable during filming.
He alleged that his co-star repeatedly requested additional kissing scenes and that he endured the situation despite his personal discomfort.
The production team also reportedly acknowledged that the number of intimate scenes had become excessive because of the female lead’s requests.
After filming concluded, the streaming platform is said to have removed more than 20 kissing scenes, reportedly because they were considered too explicit for release.
Heavy Editing Affected the Story
The removal of numerous intimate scenes reportedly disrupted the drama’s storyline.
According to reports, some viewers mistakenly believed the two actors were romantically involved in real life because of the large number of affectionate scenes that remained in the final cut.
The incident has since attracted significant attention on Chinese social media, with many users questioning whether actors on customised productions receive sufficient protection when investors also appear as performers.
Director Responds to Controversy
Following the online backlash, the drama’s director released a video clarifying that her company had only been hired to produce the customised series.
She denied being the wealthy woman at the centre of the controversy after some online users mistakenly identified her as the investor.
The director also claimed the investor later refused to pay the remaining 30,000 yuan (approximately S$5,700) in production fees after learning that many of the kissing scenes had been removed from the final version.
She added that she had advised reducing the number of intimate scenes during production, but the investor allegedly insisted on keeping them.
Production Team Promises Better Safeguards
In the aftermath of the controversy, the production team reportedly said it would strengthen contractual protections for actors involved in future projects.
They added that responsibilities and expectations would be made clearer before filming begins to better safeguard performers’ rights and prevent similar disputes.