Chinese social media users are defending a popular television personality after details about her past relationships and poor academic performance were exposed online.
Wang Bingbing, a 31-year-old reporter for China’s state-run media station CCTV, was doxxed by web users who posted her low English test scores and entries from her online diary, reported South China Morning Post.
Critics shamed the reporter for reportedly failing the College English Test (CET 4) at university. The doxxers also used her decade-old diary to claim that she “behaved badly” in her past relationships. The doxxers drew attention to Wang’s divorce and entries indicating she had cohabitated with a boyfriend when she was 19 years old.
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Wang, who has not yet responded to the controversy, became one of China’s most famous reporters in 2020 after her video reports became widely shared on social media.
Amid the shaming she faced online, many have also come out to voice their support for the reporter, calling out the critics for an invasion of privacy and “slut-shaming.”
A Weibo user pointed out the displays of sexism, asking, “So shall we bring the CET 4 and CET 6 transcripts when dating someone? And be shamed for divorcing someone? It’s 2022. When will equality come?”
Another commenter further posed, “What kind of girl is a good girl? Can they not marry or divorce at the age of 31? Be a virgin or a slut? Is this what they expect?”
Wang has also received wide public support from several local publications, such as Legal Daily, which urged the public to treat public figures with respect.
Featured Image via CCTV中国中央电视台
