It is no exaggeration to say that 2025 has become the most turbulent year of Esther Yu’s career.
Over the span of just a few months, the Chinese actress and singer born in 1995 has been caught in a series of escalating controversies, ranging from her family background to past workplace allegations. As a result, her public image has taken a significant hit, leading to a dramatic decline in her social media following.
The crisis began in August, when Esther Yu’s father’s company became embroiled in allegations involving business misconduct and tax evasion. The situation quickly triggered intense online scrutiny of the actress’s family, placing her under an unforgiving spotlight. Before the controversy could subside, old accusations resurfaced accusing Esther Yu of mistreating colleagues and displaying unprofessional behavior particularly during her time on Youth With You 2.
Among the revived claims, allegations involving actress Zhang Haoyue who previously appeared on Grade One: Graduation Season (2015–2016) became a focal point of debate. As these stories spread rapidly across social media, the “cute and lovable” image Esther Yu had cultivated over the years began to crumble.
he impact has been reflected most clearly in numbers. According to netizen-compiled statistics, Esther Yu is currently the only artist named on a so-called “2025 artist mass unfollowing ranking.” While most celebrities typically gain followers when releasing new projects, Esther Yu has become a rare exception in the Chinese entertainment industry.
In just four months, she reportedly lost a staggering 9.12 million followers across all major social media platforms. Even continued activities such as releasing music, attending events, and promoting new projects failed to slow the exodus, highlighting the severity of the damage to public trust. Once considered one of the most sought-after actresses among the post-95 generation, Esther Yu is now facing the biggest challenge of her career: rebuilding credibility amid ongoing backlash.
Despite the setbacks, there have been signs of resilience. Her new drama Yun Chu Ling recently began filming, offering a positive development for both the actress and her fans. Her previous project Song Gui also concluded earlier, achieving strong online discussion rankings at the end of 2025 and early 2026, though its ratings lagged behind major hits.
In early December, Esther Yu successfully held her birthday fan meeting and mini concert Blossom at the Huaxi Bio–Runbaiyan Center in Beijing, welcoming 10,000 fans in attendance. Ticket demand was intense, with 162,000 people competing for seats a competition ratio of 1:16 while additional fans were unable to secure tickets even after the sale.
That same month, Esther Yu released her solo album Spicy Honey, marking a major step in her music career. The album reportedly sold over 400,000 copies and generated approximately USD 100,000 in revenue within just 18 seconds of release, making her the first female idol to achieve such a record.
These achievements suggest that despite massive follower losses, Esther Yu still maintains a loyal and financially supportive fanbase. Many netizens believe that if the controversies gradually fade and she continues to focus quietly on acting and music, her status as a top “post-95 flower” could eventually be restored.
For now, Esther Yu stands at a crossroads caught between a damaged public image and undeniable commercial power making her next moves critical to the future of her career.
Sources: K14