A Chinese woman battling lung cancer has taken her husband, his alleged mistress and a major Shanghai hospital to court after discovering that the couple had reportedly undergone IVF treatment and created frozen embryos using what she says was a forged marriage certificate.
The unusual dispute has sparked widespread debate in China over marriage, infidelity, IVF regulations and who should have control over embryos created through assisted reproductive treatment.
The woman, identified as Ms Zhu from Wuxi, Jiangsu province, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019. She reportedly underwent several operations and has been recovering at home while raising a daughter with her husband.
According to Chinese media reports, Zhu discovered in 2025 that her husband had been receiving medical notifications relating to assisted reproductive treatment with another woman. She subsequently found out that the pair had allegedly presented themselves as a married couple at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer? — correction: Fudan University Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital, where embryos were reportedly created through assisted reproductive technology.
Wife Discovers Husband Allegedly Used Fake Marriage Certificate
Zhu reportedly went to the hospital after discovering the messages on her husband’s phone.
She brought her own genuine marriage certificate and told hospital staff that she was the man’s legal wife.
According to her account, the hospital subsequently confirmed that embryos had been successfully created and were being frozen.
Zhu claims her husband and the other woman had used a forged marriage certificate to undergo the IVF procedure.
She then requested that the embryos be destroyed, arguing that they had been created through an allegedly unlawful process.
The hospital refused her request.
The dispute became particularly complicated because the embryos were created from the reproductive material of the husband and the other woman. Chinese courts have previously dealt with complex disputes involving frozen embryos, with questions surrounding control and disposal depending heavily on the circumstances of each case.
Husband And Alleged Mistress Reportedly Detained
The controversy has also resulted in legal consequences over the alleged forged documents.
Chinese media reports said Zhu’s husband and the other woman were each subjected to five days of administrative detention in connection with the forged marriage certificate allegation.
However, the alleged document fraud did not automatically resolve the question of what should happen to the embryos.
Zhu subsequently filed a lawsuit against her husband, the other woman and the hospital.
Among her requests were an order for the embryos to be destroyed, 100,000 yuan (about S$18,500) in compensation for emotional distress, and a public apology from the other woman.
The case was heard at the Shanghai Xuhui District People’s Court on July 30, but the court did not issue a verdict immediately.
Husband Files For Divorce As Case Goes To Court
The dispute took another dramatic turn on the same day.
Zhu reportedly received a court summons informing her that her husband had filed a separate lawsuit seeking a divorce.
According to Chinese media reports, the husband claimed that the couple had experienced prolonged disagreements and that their relationship had deteriorated.
The divorce case is scheduled to be heard at the Liangxi District People’s Court in Wuxi on Aug. 11.
Zhu has publicly maintained that she intends to continue fighting the case.
She has also rejected the idea that being a stay-at-home wife means she made no contribution to the marriage.
The dispute has therefore developed into two connected battles: one over the fate of the frozen embryos and another over the breakdown of the couple’s marriage and their financial arrangements.
Husband Allegedly Wanted A Child With Another Woman
The case has attracted particular attention because of Zhu’s account of what happened while she was dealing with cancer.
According to her statements to Chinese media, she believes her husband’s decision to have embryos created with another woman was connected to concerns about her illness.
Zhu said her husband had effectively regarded her cancer as a reason to prepare for his future by having another woman bear his child.
The allegations have triggered strong reactions online, with many people expressing sympathy for Zhu while others argue that the interests and rights surrounding any future child should be considered separately from the marital dispute.
The controversy also raises difficult questions about frozen embryos.
If embryos were created using allegedly falsified documents, should they be destroyed? Or should decisions about them remain with the people whose sperm and eggs were used to create them?
Those questions are now before the courts.
For Zhu, however, the dispute is about more than IVF.
She has said that she gave up her career to take care of her family and believes those years of unpaid work should be recognised if the marriage ends.
With the embryo lawsuit still awaiting a judgment and the divorce proceedings moving forward, the case has become one of China’s most closely watched family-law disputes this week.
Whatever the courts ultimately decide could have implications for how similar disputes involving IVF, frozen embryos, alleged document fraud, infidelity and marital property are handled in the future.