Opinion / Wang Leehom’s divorce is making Chinese women rethink marriage and gender equality – what Lee Jinglei’s Weibo revelations mean for Asian millennials

Dec 22 , 2021

Wang Leehom walks with his wife Li Jinglei in happier times – the couple recently announced their divorce amid a public social media spat and accusations of Wang’s infidelity. Photo: Getty Images

Wife Lee Jinglei’s revelatory Weibo posts sparked a furious social media debate, with many millennials arguing that society is long overdue in catching up with the times

Chinese celebrities like Jay Chou and Karen Mok unfollowed the Taiwanese-American star following accusations of affairs with Singaporean star Yumi Bai

The bombshell news that Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter Wang Leehom and his wife Lee Jinglei are divorcing has swept up the internet in the past week. Dubbed “the biggest melon” – meaning celebrity gossip in Chinese internet slang – the drama has even propelled state media giant Global Times into the fray to comment on the affair.

Discourse around what impact a public figure should have on fans was once again brought to the front of agenda. But more pressingly, the incident also prompted China’s younger generations to think deeply about their marriage expectations, job prospects and place in society. Notably, China Women’s Daily newspaper was also moved to weigh in on the furore.

Wang Leehom, one of the biggest pop stars in China, apologised to his family and fans on Monday (December 20) and said he would take a break from performing after a public dispute on social media with his wife Lee Jinglei, who accused him of infidelity and hiring prostitutes. Photo: Chinatopix via AP

A fairy tale marriage gone sour

Here’s a quick recap of what happened. On December 15, the singer announced that he and his Taiwanese-Japanese wife of eight years had filed for divorce, asking the public for privacy so they could handle the matter privately. Later, Taiwanese media reported that Wang, 45, is having an affair with Singaporean singer Yumi Bai, one of the 29-year-old twins in girl band By2.

Things exploded when Lee made a long, revelatory Weibo explaining the real reasons the couple parted ways, sharing a long list of details about Wang’s alleged infidelities, including the affair with Bai. Lee, 35, also claimed she has proof Wang frequented prostitutes, and that Wang had admitted as much to her.

Disgraced Taiwanese-American singer-songwriter Wang Leehom. Photo: Handout

Lee also put emphasis on how she was mistreated by Wang and his family, saying she felt reduced to a “birth-giving tool” while suffering from their emotional violence.

The situation further escalated when Wang’s father published a handwritten letter accusing Lee of being a “manipulative, calculative gold-digger”. He further alleged that Lee had made demands of large quantities of the family’s assets, including their luxury Taipei mansion valued at around 100 million yuan (US$15.7 million).

Lee immediately fought back against her father-in-law’s accusations and demanded a personal apology from Wang.

Wang was chosen as an Wahaha ambassador for his clean, refreshing image, an apparent reflection of the purity of the clear water

It finally came on Monday, December 20. Wang apologised on Weibo and announced that he would stop working to focus on handling his family matters.

Meanwhile, Bai and Vivian Hsu, another Taiwanese celebrity suspected of having an affair with Wang, both came out with statements of denial. On Wednesday morning, December 22, Taiwanese media also reported that Bai had been hospitalised following a suicide attempt.

As of Wednesday, high-profile celebrities including Jay Chou and Karen Mok had stopped following Wang on social media channels.