Celebrated C-drama actress Zhao Lusi has stirred the industry with her deteriorating health and subsequent hospitalisation. A picture of the actress in a wheelchair brought attention to her health struggles. Now, Lusi has opened up about her experiences of abuse and mental health challenges on her official Weibo account. The ‘Hidden Love’ star revealed her weight once dropped to 36.7 kg but has since improved with aid from her parents.

The issue came to light on December 18 after Zhao Lusi apparently collapsed on a set where she was filming. Subsequently, she required hospitalisation. Soon, videos allegedly showing her in a wheelchair started going viral. Reports by Chinese media stated that the 26-year-old got sick during the production of her latest project. After the incident, her agency announced a suspension of her work commitments.

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The translated statement from her agency reads, “After Ms. Zhao Lusi confirmed to play the role of Ruan Yu in the project “Lovers”, she actively carried out preparatory work and fulfilled the purpose of the contract. She participated in the crew reading, makeup, shooting and other work according to the stipulated time. During the shooting period, Ms. Zhao Lusi devoted a lot of time and energy to this. On the 18th, Ms. Zhao Lusi suddenly felt unwell and went to the hospital for examination and treatment immediately. She is currently following the doctor’s orders for treatment and recuperation.”

 

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Now, the actress has opened up about her struggles. Taking to her Weibo account, she penned a note detailing her depression and health issues. “In 2019, I experienced depression. People told me, “Don’t overthink it” or “If you think positively, everything will be fine.” I also thought I was being dramatic and sensitive and didn’t take my mental health seriously. In 2021, I felt like bugs were crawling on me, like needles were pricking me, accompanied by allergies. After seeing doctors, getting medications, and receiving injections, the symptoms didn’t improve. I sought out a psychologist to help ease my anxiety.”

She continued, “In 2023, I experienced pneumonia, emphysema, pityriasis rosea, urticaria, night sweats, neurogenic hearing loss, and the loss of loved ones and cancer diagnoses among family members. All these events happened in a short period, overshadowing my emotions, and I continued to neglect my health. In 2024, frequent retching, dizziness, joint pain, neck pain, and other obvious physical symptoms appeared, along with worsening allergies. I thought these were normal side effects of allergy-targeted medication.”

Zhao Lusi also shared her childhood traumas, where she underwent physical abuse during tutoring sessions. She faced beatings twice. However, Lusi endured it. She wrote, “During extracurricular tutoring, I was beaten in the teacher’s dormitory. At the time, I thought it was right to be punished because I wasn’t good at studying. I didn’t dare speak out because I was taught to “always find the problem within yourself.” When I grew up, I was beaten again for not securing an acting role. I thought it was my fault, so I didn’t dare make a fuss—I just wanted to escape.”

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Even after she tried to move away from harm, it found her again in the form of gossip. “Countless defamation attempts inside and outside the industry followed, with people coming to me after gossiping about me. Each time, the pain only deepened. The harm has never stopped.”