He Chose to Let Go of His Persona

This article is part of a series analyzing Ziyu’s crisis communication strategy. [Read the introduction here.]

Ziyu is a Chinese actor and singer who rose to national fame in summer 2025 after starring in the hit web drama Revenged Love.
On July 23, a woman posted a long statement on social media, describing being emotionally shut out, pushed away, and hurt in the relationship.

The details remain unclear, and public reactions to personal disputes like this are often mixed. But the real issue was this:
The story she told brought Ziyu’s long-established public persona into direct conflict with reality.

Ziyu wasn’t known for hype or distance.
His public image was built on something much more relatable: ordinary background, no visible resources, and a slow, steady rise.
He positioned himself as a clear-headed figure people could relate to—someone who struggled, stayed grounded, and kept going.
That’s also why a relationship kept off the record didn’t just surprise people—it disrupted the trust his persona was built on.
Not because celebrities can’t be in relationships.
But because people assumed he’d already put his life on the table.

In moments like this, the usual route is familiar:
Wait it out. Keep things vague. Say as little as possible and hope the noise fades.
Or issue a statement trying to explain:
“I’m still the same person. You misunderstood.”
Ziyu didn’t do that.

Instead, around 11:30 p.m. that night, he posted a response.
The first sentence was: “I’m sorry you had to reach me this way.”
He confirmed the relationship, acknowledged mistakes in how it was handled, and kept a calm, direct tone—no denial, no redirection, no image management.
That part is important:
He wasn’t defending the persona.
He was saying it no longer stood.

The next day, he posted again—this time, a longer message in his fan Super Topic.
It looked like a follow-up, but structurally, it was already laying out a new narrative.
This time, there was no emphasis on discipline or effort.
Instead, he shared details meant to rebuild a different kind of image:
Growing up with debt, expecting little from life, struggling with emotions, making mistakes in relationships.
If the first post shut down the old version, the second began setting up something else.

Across the two days, three moves became clear:
The first post acknowledged reality and dropped the previous image.
The second began introducing a different version of who he is.
Posting in the Super Topic meant the message was for those still choosing to stay—not for everyone.
This wasn’t just a response to emotional backlash.
It was a reset of how he shows up in public.

A lot of people think PR is about saying the right thing, quickly.
But more often, the real question is: Can you still stand on the story you’ve been telling?
Some try to push through. Some try to stall.
Ziyu, at the first sign that his previous framing no longer worked, shut it down—and shifted into a new mode of expression.

So, did it work? Did the fans accept it? Will this hurt future opportunities?
That’s not what this article is here to answer.
But this part is clear:
In a crisis that could’ve dragged on, Ziyu didn’t lead with explanation.
He led with a decision to let go.
It wasn’t damage control.
It was judgment.
He didn’t wait for the persona to break.
He made the call to step away—first.

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