A popular Chinese influencer with 33 million followers has been ordered to pay more than $90,000 in compensation after a court ruled she fabricated sexual harassment allegations against her former boss.
Liu, known online as Xiaohuijun, gained fame for her high-quality cosplay content on Chinese social media.
In 2020, she accused Sun Haoyu, owner of Qinhuangdao Chidu Entertainment, of sexually harassing her during online conversations and forcing her to sign documents against her will.
Liu defended herself in a livestream, saying, "You think I am hyping things up? I am 22 years old and I am a virgin. I will never do this kind of thing to ruin my innocence."
Sun denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit against Liu. On April 19, he announced that the court had ruled in his favor, finding that Liu had fabricated the claims.
Liu was ordered to pay Sun 600,000 yuan (approximately $82,515) in compensation, plus an additional 60,000 yuan (about $8,251) to cover his legal expenses.
In the aftermath of the accusations, Sun said he faced significant personal and professional consequences.
"Two-thirds of my staff quit the company. It is difficult for me to sign other bloggers. My parents and I are suffering online violence, even receiving a death threat," he said.
Liu has been banned from social media and must publicly apologize to Sun through a national media outlet within six months.
"Justice may be late, but it will never be absent," Sun said.
The case highlights the serious consequences of making false accusations and the impact such claims can have on individuals and businesses.
