- Tibetan herder Dingzhen Zhenzhu, who went viral in 2020 for his good looks, is suing online critics who described him as nothing more than a “pretty face.”
- The now 21-year-old was once labeled “China’s most handsome man” after a 7-second video of Dingzhen went viral on Chinese social media.
- After going viral, Dingzhen became an ambassador for his hometown and turned the poverty-stricken Litang, located in Sichuan Province in southwestern China, into a popular tourist destination.
- During his rise to fame, many male online users mocked the 21-year-old and criticized fans for placing a higher value on appearances than accomplishments.
- Dingzhen released a lawyer’s letter on Sunday through his agent, warning online commentators to refrain from making defamatory comments, and started pursuing legal action against those who have posted vulgar remarks.
A Tibetan herder once dubbed “China’s most handsome man” is suing online critics for defamatory comments suggesting that his looks are his only quality.
Dingzhen Zhenzhu, 21, released a lawyer’s letter through his agent on Sunday, warning online commentators against posting defamatory comments that include “insulting, terrifying, vulgar, or vilifying words, pictures and audio.”
In November 2020, a seven-second clip of Dingzhen smiling went viral on Chinese social media, leading him to quickly rise to fame. Dingzhen was hired as an ambassador for his hometown in Litang of Sichuan Province in southwestern China – known as one of the most poverty-stricken counties in the country – and turned it into a popular tourist destination. He was invited to several events including the United Nations Development Programme’s World Earth Day last year.
Many people online, however, began ridiculing the 21-year-old as being talentless. They also criticized Dingzhen’s fans for purportedly placing a higher value on appearances than achievements. The online attacks escalated after a video of Dingzhen vaping was posted to social media in January 2021.
“10 years of hard academic study is not a quarter as good as Dingzhen’s smile,” one user sarcastically wrote.
A survey conducted by leading sports forum Hupu in December 2020 showed that 63% of the respondents believed they were more attractive than Dingzhen.
Dingzhen has already begun to pursue legal action against those who have posted defamatory comments and threatened to sue any others who suggest that he is nothing more than “a handsome face.”
“Never dare do anything evil no matter how trivial you think it is,” Dingzhen is quoted as saying in the lawyer’s letter.
Feature Image via China Culture
Support our Journalism with a Contribution
Many people might not know this, but despite our large and loyal following which we are immensely grateful for, NextShark is still a small bootstrapped startup that runs on no outside funding or loans.
Everything you see today is built on the backs of warriors who have sacrificed opportunities to help give Asians all over the world a bigger voice.
However, we still face many trials and tribulations in our industry, from figuring out the most sustainable business model for independent media companies to facing the current COVID-19 pandemic decimating advertising revenues across the board.
We hope you consider making a contribution so we can continue to provide you with quality content that informs, educates and inspires the Asian community.
Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for everyone’s support. We love you all and can’t appreciate you guys enough.
ncG1vNJzZmhqZGy7psPSmqmorZ6Zwamx1qippZxemLyue82erqxnk522r63SZqSoq6RitaK6w6ympp1doq6vedOoZKytlWK8r7jIp5xmm6Kewaqv0mauoaddqK66eceeqmamn6m1qrrGZqSoqpViwamtzWaYp2WRqcGzrcKtoK%2BdXZuupLGO