Wen Zhang Apologizes for Cheating on Pregnant Wife Ma Yili
Above: Wen Zhang with girlfriend, Yao Di, and wife, Ma Yili.
Mainland Chinese actor Wen Zhang (文章), best known for his recent starring performances in the romantic comedy film Love Is Not Blind <失恋33天> and the Stephen Chow (周星馳) fantasy epic Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons <西游·降魔篇>, has admitted on his Weibo that he cheated on his wife, award-winning actress Ma Yili (马伊琍).
Wen Zhang in Love with Yao Di for Years?
For years, 29-year-old Wen Zhang and 32-year-old Yao Di (姚笛), his costar from their 2011 television drama series Naked Wedding <裸婚时代>, were rumored to be an item. Gossip magazines stated that the onscreen pair fell in love on set, but both Wen Zhang and Yao Di maintained that they were only close friends.
Their underground relationship came to light several days ago, when Wen Zhang and Yao Di were spotted meeting up in Shenzhen. They then traveled to Hong Kong, where the paparazzi snapped photos of them behaving intimately together. A magazine published the breaking news and a photo of Wen Zhang and Yao Di linking arms made it to the front cover. Numerous candid photos of the pair were being shared online, taking the Chinese Internet by storm.
Wen Zhang Apologizes for Cheating
Wen Zhang and Yao Di stayed silent after their cheating scandal broke out, but on the midnight of March 31, 2014, Wen Zhang posted a statement on his Weibo, confirming his cheating rumors. In his statement, he apologized for his actions. “I have only myself to blame,” stated Wen Zhang. “When it’s wrong, it’s wrong. It has nothing to do with anyone else. With my smooth acting career, I have become extremely conceited and arrogant. I am willing to take responsibility for the consequences of my actions.
“I’ve failed Ma Yili and our child. I’ve failed my family. I’ve failed the title as husband and father. I’ve failed everyone who has placed their hopes and expectations in me. I’m sorry and please accept my most heartfelt apologies. Yili and our child could have had a beautiful life, but I ruined it. My wrong behavior does not deserve forgiveness.” Wen Zhang continued to say that the harm he has caused on his family is irreversible, but “I want to make up for it, must make up for it, and this will be my life from today and beyond. I hope from this day on, I will no longer fail others.”
Wen Zhang’s post was reshared over 1.2 million times, leaving behind over 1.8 million comments.
Wife, Yili’s Response
A few minutes later, Yili posted a response on her Weibo, “Loving is easy. Marriage is not. Do and cherish.” Yili’s message attracted over 2 million upvotes with over a million comments, all showing their support for Yili.
Wen Zheng and Yili met on the set of the 2005 television drama Jinyiwei <锦衣卫>. Their relationship attracted widespread media attention at the time – Wen Zhang was still considered a rookie, while Yili, who is eight years older than Wen Zhang, was an acclaimed actress. The couple married in 2008. Their first daughter, Wen Junzhu, was born in 2009. Yili is currently pregnant with their second child.
Wen Zhang’s Response Lacks Sincerity?
Alert netizens questioned Wen Zhang’s sincerity towards his cheating as his released press statement resembled the verbiage and phrases from musician Gao Xiaosong’s (高曉松) press statement after he was pulled over for drunk driving.
As Wen Zhang’s cheating scandal continued to draw fire from netizens as well as increased media coverage, he lost his temper and posted on his Weibo, “I’m wrong; it’s entirely my own fault.” Addressing the onslaught of negative reports, Wen questioned, “When will this end? If you want me to play, don’t involve anyone else. I’ll play with you! My life is worthless; I’ll play with you till the end!”
Source: On.cc
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
cheat on your wife while she is pregnant with your child? I would never imagine how the wife can gain back that trust for him again…
Couple counseling? Time? Space? Gaining back a trust is hard but not impossible.
True, gaining trust back is hard but still possible. As the saying goes, as long you have the heart and will, even mountains of ice will melt down.
Cheating on your spouse at the moment when they need you the most is betrayal of the worst kind.
Forgiveness may be given, but the (mis)deed never forgotten. If that is considered gaining back trust, then it would be possible.
Unfathomable.
“Once a dog, always a dog.”
agreed!
damn right!
Well, his career is pretty much over that’s for sure. Yao Di, forever deemed the home-wrecker. Their future looks so bright now.
I cannot imagine how Yili is going through this. Being cheated to begin with is horrible enough, but now she’s carrying a child, and the whole wide world knows about this scandal.
Not necessarily because others have done worse, but are still rolling… Time will make everyone forget all. Look at Adam Cheng for example, people hated him for awhile after he cheated on Lydia. However, with time, many tend to just forget it all and move on. But yes, there are some that still hate him and all.
Not necessarily. Yao Di’s career might be over, but Wen Zhang may be able to comeback in a year or two as a fresh and ‘repented husband’, maybe with a good sympathetic movie role. The third party woman is more d-amned.
It is a unfair world. Very often the guys have better chances of making a comeback but towards a home wrecker woman it is less forgiving.
Totally agree!!! If a man is a dog, Asian society will say “Who cares about his personal life? It’s his talent that counts.” But, if it’s a woman, Asian society will say “Damn her.” Double standard right there.
Let’s hope this gets her more alimony! I feel it is harder to forgive a breach in their marital vows when it is spread ugly all over the tabloids!
Just curious – how can they have a second child? Are they both the only child? Feel sorry for the wife.
Get out of here with your ignorant nonsense. You can have two children if both the parents are single children.
The ignorant one is you. Your able to have a second child if the first one was born a girl or disable or the parents don’t have any siblings.
but u hav to admit, the girlfriend does look cute and the wife do look like the type that is a “wife” look. but true, u’re not suppose to cheat. tough luck for the rest of ur life career. unless he move onto business.
wait omggg that wife is from princess of pear the 3rd one! OMGG!! i just realize that. oh that sucks!!! well at least i noe who she is now. OH MY GODD she’s from princess of pearl!
Yes, she played Zi Wei in part 3 of HZGG. That was my first time seeing her and she did a great job.
This is so ****. I can understand why yili would take him back — he is the father of her daughter and soon-to-be second child. At this point in time, she needs support. But what crummy kind of support is this? Ooh asian men pisses me off!
wow that’s mad. feel so sorry for his wife.
Unforgiveable! How can this Wen Zhang cheat on his pregnant wife! He has a daughter with her too.I havr ZERO respect for this guy!
I feel sorry for the wife Yili! Obviously Wen was cheating behind her back because he and the husband stealer was covering their appearances from top to toe!
would someone enlighten me as to why he is making his apology public? I don’t see why he has to say it on weibo like the public is his wife or family, he only needs to say it to yili
Of course Wen zhang’s apology instructed by his management for damage control! Those netizens already noted that his apology statement resemble apology of someone else before. Template obviously.
His excessive public apologies do come across as insincere. He’s probably trying to salvage his image before the media blows up the story.
What sort of a marriage is this when everything had to be by way of weibo? How can this marriage ever work out?
that’s exactly my question
I was wondering the same thing. They should try to keep it more low profile if they want to work things out instead of airing their dirty laundry on weibo.
I feel bad for Ma YiLi… I wonder if they still have any hope in their marriage.
The article did not state when they married?
2008. Article stated.
Yesterday when I saw tat, I only can think of: “Men are untrustful”
Not just men, but women can be just as deceitful.
In my opinion, women care more for family so they are more trustful.
Well, if it wasn’t a Fool April then Sun Li is going to divorce Deng Chao as well. Sun Li is pregnant as stated and Deng Chao went to find girls, which lead to the divorce. If it’s true, then Wen Zhang & Deng Chao are so the same, bastard.
WHAT?! Joke or real?
Sun Li wrote on weibo about the end of marriage. She deleted after that but it appeared on mags. Sun Li and Deng Chao haven’t replied.
I hope that it was just a joke by Sun Li. Not that long ago they were so happy since she is pregnant with their second child.
It really depends on the person since men care for family too so it is not just women. I always see those talk shows where DNA tests must be done since the women has cheated so the men want to make sure the kids are their kids.
Strange how when a marriage ends or cheating is involved, the guy is always blamed…
@HTS: The DNA test mostly applies for men because women are the ones who give birth to kids.
I don’t think it’s too strange for men to be blamed in most cases because I often see men cheat but less women. I see that there are men who cheat during their wives’ pregnant time because their wives’ look go down due to pregnant. It’s disgusting to me. Those men should remember how hurt the women are to give birth to their sons.
What do you think of women pregnant with another man’s child but married another man who never knew and brought up the child as his own only to know decades later that isn’t his biological child? Such cases are on the rise.
True to say despicable to cheat when wife is pregnant but this article seems to suggest he may be more in love with the mistress than his wife.
“this article seems to suggest he may be more in love with the mistress than his wife”
By posting an apology on Weibo, seems like he wants to keep the marriage (thus, loves his wife/family more)?
“I don’t think it’s too strange for men to be blamed in most cases because I often see men cheat but less women.”
Of course the “cheater” should be blamed, especially when he is caught red-handed while his spouse is pregnant at home and he published an apology.
By posting an apology on Weibo, seems like he wants to keep the marriage (thus, loves his wife/family more)?
He has to save his image as well. Moreover Ma Yili is pregnant and he can’t divorce with her at this moment for his mistress, even if he wants to do so. Of course, if Ma Yili doesn’t want to maintain that marriage, she can file to divorce. She has reason.
What do you think of women pregnant with another man’s child but married another man who never knew and brought up the child as his own only to know decades later that isn’t his biological child? Such cases are on the rise.
Those men are called “King of shell” in my place. I think those women are liars and many of them can be called slu-t.
By apoogizing publicly in weibo, Wen Zhang most likely want to salvage whatever of his small romantic husband image that was left. All this while he has been selling and carrying the model young husband and dad image and a romantic gentle man image. Thay was why the China internet was shocked and disappointed and why Wen Zhang would want to try using public apology to salvage his wholesome image and push the blame to paparazzi.
I normally would blame the media, but not this time. This is a rare event that the media reported a true affair and managed to get the evidences to show. That was why Wen Zhang has no choice but to admit that he cheated on his pregnant wife.
The discussion about this infidelity here is interesting too. Check this out: http://www.chinasmack.com/2014/pictures/celebrity-infidelity-and-affair-dominates-chinese-internet.html
“Wen Zhang is popularly perceived as a 小男人 “small man”, a man who is not stereotypically macho/manly and is instead cute, sweet, and romantic. This is helped by the fact that his wife Ma Yili is 8 years older than him. They have one daughter and she is pregnant with their second child. This is part of the reason why this entertainment industry gossip has been so big, dominating major Chinese portal websites (in both pageviews and comment discussion) and microblog social network Sina Weibo as well as being spread on Tencent messaging applications Weixin/QQ…”
@Fox
The actor Orlando Bloom’s mother is one such woman you described. Apparently, Orlando was shocked to find out his real dad was not the one who brought him up and whose surname he bore.
“if Ma Yili doesn’t want to maintain that marriage, she can file to divorce. She has reason.”
When a man cheats, the victim is already not in his heart. So, Ma Yili should divorce the cheating dog. Then, give the baby her maiden name (Ma). Hope it’s a boy. haha 🙂
Ma Yili, better keep your eyes open for a better man cuz your husband is not a good man.
Forget his words, his actions says it all.
Oh, his demand will go down, better cut his earnings by 33%. You know, demand and supply.
@Fox,
” if it wasn’t a Fool April then Sun Li is going to divorce Deng Chao as well.”
Surprised to hear this. Deng Chao and Sun Li has not been married for very long, right?
If I remember correctly, Deng chao and Sun Li were married in 2009 so they were not married for that long.
@Kidd: They get married in Feb 2010 according to Deng Chao and had a girl. Now she is pregnant the second one.
Thanks for the correction Fox. I knew it was either 2009 or 2010 but forgot which particular year it was. They had a son and she is currently pregnant. I really wonder if it was a joke or was it true?? I really hope it was just a joke.
I think that is problem with love and marriage these days. At one point in your life, you see someone you like and fall in love and then get married. However, years down the line, you find another that you like and maybe is even better than your wife/husband so you began to stray. sigh… Is love and marriage truly that complicated?? I guess being faithful to only one person your entire life is harder than many think.
Or cases where one meets his or her first love again.
You are probably right! There is no right & wrong in love but we need to answer to our conscience I guess. Life & love is complicated.
You are so right Funn because in many cases, the one that you marry/end up with is not always the one you love most. I remember watching this one show where couples who were married and were now divorced/widowed got back together again with their first and past loves. At least they were single again as opposed to ones who are currently married. But yea, if they are married but then run into their first love again, who knows what can happen??
With all the choices one has these days it is definitely not easy. Moreover the advancement of Internet and social media make ur even easier to cheat
Cheating in the e circle is even more common because you are constantly surrounded with temptation all the time. Those actresses and actors that marry people outside the circle will have spouses that constantly must worry that they will stray and cheat on them.
I think it’s more of the mentality of putting oneself’s need first (selfishness) in the name of self-happiness as most important.
Most people nowadays take that literally as their mantra especially with so many authors writing about it.
Terms like YOLO (you only live once) and marriage is just a piece of paper that doesn’t guarantee anything makes more individuals put less value on their commitment and responsibilities.
Once you cheat, it’s over. I don’t believe in working out a relationship/marriage once the person cheats. I do believe in an amicable breakup/divorce though. It’ll always be there in the relationship so the other person will use it as a tool to psychological makes you feel bad about yourself. “You cheated on me…”…So move on, get a divorce.
I couldn’t agree w/u more. I can never understand when ppl say, we can be friends if NOT lovers. pls hahaa…lol It’s over, it’s over. Why linger on what could have been i/o of what’s done is done? Once a cheater, i doubt the trust issue will ever be rebuild ever again, no matter how one tries.
Yup, no way back.
don’t know why he published it to the world…that’s not really smart….
Most likely to salvage his model husband and dad image that he has been carrying all this while and to avoid looking like a big cheating jerk, but the picture proofs are strong this time.
I dono him..now i know him as a cheater & unfaithful husband…wish i never c or hear about him anymore.
So do I. I only know and researched about him today after reading this cheating news that takes the Chinese internet like a storm.
I don’t know who is more despicable. The cheating pig or the younger woman who still went w/him when he’s married and wife is carrying their second child. Can naivety and young really be excused? Despicable!!
First of all why would he even post this on weibo? shouldn’t he apologize to her in person? very irresponsible of him! I feel bad for his wife =[
Cases of women forgave men:
1) Singapore Director Jack Neo: 2010 March 09 reported, Jack Neo cheated his wife (a homemaker) with 12 women. 2010 March 11, his wife forgave him in a 5-minute press conference, and his wife fainted after saying that.
2) Hong Kong Joe Nieh: 2008 Dec 7th reported, Joe Nieh cheated Hong Kong Singer Vivian Chow Wai Man with a 20 year old girl. Vivian forgave boyfriend of 20 years. Married on 2009 Jan 6th.
3) A Singaporean, Secretary to Indonesia Tourism Minister Khoo Shao Tze: Hong Kong Director Charlie Yeung Choi Nei forgave boyfriend of 19 years for whatever reasons of breakup: business partnership failure in 2003, heavy debt. Got back together in 2011, married on 2013 Nov 02.
4) Hong Kong Actors Benny Chan Ho Man & Joe Ma Tak Chung: 2011 Nov 20, scandal with 19 year old Rose Chan Ka Wun. Benny’s pregnant with 1st daughter, wife Lisa Jiang forgave him. Joe Ma’s wife Dr Karen Cheung Siu Lan (Ph.D) also forgave him.
I remember no. 1. Quite a spectacle. And the wife stood by him and his career survived.
I nearly forgot about these cases and I feel that IF a woman loves a man enough, then they will forgive them and give them another chance.
That’s not love. It’s more of a business arrangement.
I pity Yao Di. Always easy getting blamed for being 3rd party irregardless who’s at fault.
They may be in love, but society is always advocating the men going back to wives. How about the 3rd party that got hurt? Is she not as devastated?
“How about the 3rd party that got hurt? Is she not as devastated?”
Let’s backtrack a bit. Didn’t she know he is married when she got involved with him? To me both are to be blamed. As far as I can see right now the wife is blameless unless she is of a strange weird character. I think he preempts any blame on 3rd party by admitting full blame on himself first.
Yao Di knew Wen Zhang is married when they were in a date. Moreover, Wen Zhang is appeared to public as a family man who care for wife and kid(s). As a result, she shouldn’t involve in a relationship like so or she can foresee the blames of public.
True,but it takes 2 to tango. If he did not respond to her advances then things would not escalate to this stage. Therefore,they are both at fault. I really hope his wife does not do anything to hurt herself. This is just sad.
She knows he is married in the first place, if she advance first even make her more despicable and more at fault. Seducing married man?
Why should pity her? she knows first hand that she dated married man and should see this coming.
This story has now received BBC coverage.
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-26851123
it is also reported in the metro news in canada
I wonder how truthful the apology is considering:
1) he was in the relationship for over a year was it?
2) he only apologized and stopped the relationship AFTER it was exposed… one could assume he’d have kept going with it if it hadn’t been
3) he later attacked the two reporters who exposed the relationship asking them when they will stop.
Doesn’t sound that repentant to me.
Totally agree!!!
“he was in the relationship for over a year was it?”
Since the affair started before his wife became pregnant, this means that he was cheating on both women. What a dog!!! There may even be others that have not been exposed.
Ma Yili should keep her eyes open for a good man because her husband is definitely not one.
They have a daughter and another one on the way so that is just so sad. It would be easier for her to let him go if they did not have kids,but sadly they do and the kids are now stuck in the middle.
True, Wen Zhang is a father, which he knew before he started the affair. Why blame the media (by telling them to stop) and not take full corrective responsibility for the affair? He has only himself to blame and should not use the kids to make people back off. His blaming attitude makes it doubtful that he will not cheat in the “not-so-near” future, which is why Ma Yili should think more about her own happiness now before it’s too late, especially since she does not have a good man.
File for divorce and get most of his assets for adultery against her. Open her eyes next time. Be a good mother to the kids.
@kiwi,
Totally agree!!!
Ma Yili would have one less man-child to take care of.
“If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”
An apology. If he’s willing to bet his left ball maybe she should accept. And if he’s willing to bet both balls than she should forgive him and get the hell out of there. LOL!
“get the hell out of there”
That’s the only part I agree with. haha 🙂
Wen Zhang is ugly inside out. I have little doubt that he’s blaming Ma Yili too.
Great comments above. Very well said, and two thumbs up.
@HeTieShou @Leva
Many couples who had a partner, or both partners cheat, have managed to stay together, but after much counselling, soul searching, apologizing, forgiveness and time. You all are right, it is not impossible, just very difficult
In the Wen Zhang situation, it is going to be difficult for his wife to forgive him, and keep the marriage going. News magazines printed stories in the past of him and Yao Di being in a relationship, which both of them adamantly denied, claiming they were just platonic friends. Of course, his wife would have heard of, or read of these cheating rumors. The same way he denied to the public, he obviously denied to her. He not only was lying to his wife, but Wen Zhang continued this adulterous affair after his wife became pregnant, carrying his child. What kind of man would do that.
He continued to lie to Ma Yili and cheat on her. The only reason he apologized is because he got caught red handed with his hand in the cheating jar.
Yao Di is just as disgusting as Wen Zhang as she knew full well he is a married man with a child, and another one on the way. As HeTieShou said, it takes two to tango, and these two did tango. One party or both can always refuse to dance.
This is the worst kind of cheating. I might be able to forgive a one night stand as a laspe of judgement, but this kind of cheating involves emotional involvement, deliberate lying and secrecy. Its sneaky and gross and should not be forgiven.
Don’t know who this guy is, but the American Newspapers are now reporting it, due to the unusual high number of responses in the social network world, apparently it blew all records of social media.
This man is a B*stard,as well as the mistress. The victim here is the Wife and the kids. I am surprise at how some can support the mistress. The wife is pretty, especially if Qiong Yao selected her to play Zhi Wei in Huan Zhu GeGE III. Hope the Wife is strong enough to take this and make a better life with her kids.
Either way, Wen Zhang only seems regretful that he was caught cheating. Whether he feels remorseful for hurting his wife and children, that is questionable.
Simply put, he is a man without balls. If you don’t want to be with your wife or love her anymore, man up, get a divorce and then go date whoever you want. Do not come out and apologize in public. Insincere apology. Disgusting.
Shame on Wei Zhang!!! Shameless man, shameless husband, irresponsible father-to-be!!!