On December 17, 2025, a lengthy public statement by former SNH48 member Zeng Yanfen quickly sparked widespread discussion. Drawing from her personal experience, she accused Siba Media of systemic problems involving unfair contracts, income distribution, and internal management. Most notably, she alleged that under pressure to secure financing and pursue listing plans, the company had arranged for selected girl group members to attend business dinners involving alcohol and inappropriate social obligations. Her statement has been widely interpreted as a show of support for Ju Jingyi amid her long-running contract dispute with Siba, while also exposing deeper structural issues within the idol management system.
One of the most controversial points in Zeng Yanfen’s account concerns contractual practices. She claimed that second-generation SNH48 members initially signed eight-year contracts with automatic termination at age 30, but that Siba later introduced so-called “supplementary agreements” to extend contract terms—reportedly pushing Ju Jingyi’s contract end date to 2033. According to Zeng, the artists themselves were never properly informed of these documents, while the company allegedly relied on “dual contracts” to obscure real income distribution. She further revealed that revenue sharing ratios were heavily skewed, with the company taking up to 90 percent or more, leaving performers with minimal net income even from high-paying projects.
Public reaction intensified following her remarks on business entertainment practices. Zeng stated that certain members were selected to attend corporate dinners where drinking, inappropriate jokes, and physical boundary violations occurred. Although she noted that she personally believed the company’s founder intended to protect the members, she acknowledged that boundaries were crossed and that some artists later faced internal pressure or career setbacks as a result.
Zeng also described long-term psychological pressure and punitive management methods, including fines, public humiliation, forced control of social media accounts, delayed payments, and high contract termination penalties. Her claims are not isolated. In recent years, several SNH48 members, including Feng Xinduo and Huang Tingting, have successfully pursued contract terminations through legal action, with compensation amounts ranging from over one million to several million yuan, highlighting a pattern rather than isolated incidents.
The controversy has once again drawn attention to the mechanics of the fan economy. According to Zeng, fans invested large sums of money in voting and support activities, while individual members received only a small fraction of those funds. Under a system driven by capital and traffic metrics, idols risk being reduced to expendable assets, with limited protection for their long-term welfare and rights.
Legal experts point out that disputes of this nature hinge on contract fairness and evidentiary responsibility. If the authenticity and validity of supplementary agreements cannot be substantiated, the company may face significant legal and reputational consequences.
At an industry level, 2025 is widely seen as a period of adjustment for China’s idol business. A growing number of artists have taken legal action against their agencies over contract fraud and income transparency, prompting calls for stronger regulation, clearer financial disclosure, and a reassessment of development models built on intense “idol cultivation” and heavy fan spending. Zeng Yanfen’s closing appeal for greater freedom and a more humane system has resonated as a broader reflection on how the idol industry might evolve beyond its current impasse.
