Liu Yifei has long been regarded as one of the great beauty icons of Chinese entertainment. However, even a star of her stature appears unable to completely escape the impact of a slowing entertainment market.
Sohu recently reported that the actress, widely nicknamed the “Fairy Sister,” became a hot topic after her endorsement partnerships with three major brands—Tissot, Dove and Ant Insurance—came to an end in quick succession. Liu Yifei’s partnership with Swiss watch brand Tissot alone had lasted 11 years.
For a top-tier celebrity like Liu Yifei, annual endorsement fees can reportedly reach RMB 15 million, according to Beijing Xingfeng Culture Media Co., Ltd. Moreover, Liu Yifei has frequently secured top-level titles such as global brand ambassador. As a result, the loss of several major endorsement contracts at around the same time could represent a significant financial blow.
When multiple brands simultaneously cut ties with a celebrity, it is often associated with a major scandal, as companies may seek to distance themselves from potential reputational risks. For this reason, some fans became concerned after Liu Yifei lost three endorsement deals within a short period.
However, after media outlets contacted the brands involved, they reportedly confirmed that the partnerships had ended because new cooperation agreements could not be reached with The Tale of Rose star.
Liu Yifei had previously faced criticism over what some netizens described as an arrogant attitude after she cropped Vietnamese singer Ho Ngoc Ha out of a group photo.
In September, Liu Yifei and Ho Ngoc Ha attended the same fashion brand event, where they took a photo together with Bvlgari’s CEO. However, when Liu Yifei uploaded the image to Instagram, Ho Ngoc Ha had been cropped out, leaving only Liu and the executive in the frame. Ho Ngoc Ha, meanwhile, posted the original version of the photo.
The incident quickly became a major topic on Weibo, reportedly generating more than 150 million views and triggering sharply divided reactions.
Some netizens accused Liu Yifei of being disrespectful and condescending toward an artist from another country. Other online comments claimed that she appeared friendly toward internationally famous celebrities and Hollywood stars while behaving differently toward Asian entertainers, including some within China’s own entertainment industry. Amid the backlash, Liu Yifei eventually removed the controversial photo from her Instagram account.
Concerns have also emerged over Liu Yifei’s lengthy absence from drama filming. Following The Tale of Rose, she has taken an extended break from acting projects and has mainly maintained commercial activities. At present, her only completed but unaired project is The Love of Hypnosis, which has reportedly been delayed for six years.
Liu Yifei has also yet to win a major acting prize at China’s three prominent television awards: the Flying Apsaras Awards, Golden Eagle Awards and Magnolia Awards.
In terms of television achievements, some Chinese media assessments have placed Liu Yifei behind actresses of her generation such as Zhao Liying, Yang Mi and Tiffany Tang. With Liu Yifei also taking on relatively few acting projects, her opportunities to compete for major television awards have consequently become more limited.
According to Sohu, China’s entertainment industry is currently facing broader difficulties. With investors increasingly cautious about the industry’s commercial prospects, investment in film and television productions has declined, resulting in fewer projects being able to begin filming.
As a result, established actresses in Liu Yifei’s age group are also facing a shrinking selection of scripts and projects to choose from.
Sources: kenh14