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During a recent concert in Fujian province, Chinese singer Zhang Jie unwittingly caused a stir by revealing what he thought was a made-up phone number, prompting his fans to call it. The 41-year-old, known for his vibrant personality and a significant fanbase of 82 million on Weibo, used digits from his birth date to create a fictional number as a joke. However, this seemingly harmless prank backfired when it turned out the number belonged to a Shanghai resident, who was soon overwhelmed by countless calls from strangers.
This incident quickly gained traction on Chinese social media, sparking mixed reactions. While some fans defended Zhang, insisting he hadn’t intended any harm, others criticized him for his negligence, arguing that public figures should be more careful with their actions. Several users pointed out the distress caused to the unsuspecting individual whose number was inadvertently shared.
Legal experts weighed in, emphasizing that despite the lack of malicious intent, Zhang's actions led to an invasion of privacy. Beijing lawyer Yu Long explained that Chinese law prohibits harassment and public exposure that violates privacy, calling for Zhang to issue a clarification to prevent further harm.
On September 9, Zhang took responsibility by personally apologizing to the phone number's owner and requesting his fans to stop contacting them. This incident has sparked a wider discussion about the responsibilities of celebrities and the unintended consequences of their actions, especially when engaging with their fanbase in public settings.
