Dr. Heartstealer 🦋

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@imafreeelf03 @Mimiwpec Other dramas post official bts with stunt doubles without problem. The person who made the speculation is obviously with malicious intent to stir fan war.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@aaramydear @Mimiwpec the assistant thing was only a speculation. who knows someone is posing to be someone

[MyDramaList @My_Drama_List]

Bai Lu-Cheng Lei fan war intensifies over 'The First Jasmine' stand-in allegations

Recently, Chinese actress Bai Lu became a trending topic after controversy erupted over the alleged use of a stand-in for a tea-drinking scene in her new drama The First Jasmine. The issue sparked widespread discussion across the Chinese internet. As of July 2, 2026, neither Bai Lu's studio, Cheng Lei's, aka Ryan Cheng, studio, nor the production team of The First Jasmine has publicly responded to the allegations surrounding the controversy.

The controversy originated from a comparison screenshot that circulated on Weibo. The image appeared to show that the silhouette of the person filming a tea-drinking scene on the set of The First Jasmine differed from Bai Lu's physique as seen in public appearances. Based on this, critics alleged that Bai Lu had used a stand-in even for a simple scene like drinking tea, calling her professionalism and work ethic into question.

The controversy gained even more traction because it coincided with an earlier dispute over The First Jasmine, in which the face of a stunt double in some of the action scenes from the drama had been blurred. As a result, the discussion quickly escalated. The focus soon shifted from whether Bai Lu had used a stand-in to accusations that the team of her co-star, Cheng Lei, had deliberately spread the rumors, turning the incident into a full-blown online feud between the lead actors' respective fanbases.

How did a topic as commonplace in the film and television industry as the use of stand-ins escalate into a large-scale confrontation between the two stars' fan bases?

First, it is important to clarify that the controversy did not originate from footage in the finished version of The First Jasmine, but from a comparison screenshot taken from behind-the-scenes filming material unrelated to the final cut. The entire controversy unfolded on social media platforms, with the key developments all taking place on July 2, 2026.

According to publicly available information on Weibo, the controversy began on July 2, 2026, when the user @赴鹿洁约的小菠萝 posted a comparison screenshot claiming that the physique and silhouette of the person appearing in a tea-drinking scene from The First Jasmine differed noticeably from Bai Lu's. Based on this, the user questioned whether Bai Lu had used a stand-in even for a simple scene involving drinking tea — a scene requiring no extraordinary skills — and argued that it reflected a lack of professionalism on the actress's part.

Shortly afterward, another Weibo user, @归稚z, added to the discussion by linking the allegation to an earlier controversy involving The First Jasmine, in which the face of a stunt double in an action scene from the drama had been blurred. The user speculated that Bai Lu had relied on stand-ins for multiple key scenes, further amplifying the criticism.

The allegations were quickly met with pushback from Bai Lu's fans as well as some neutral observers, with the two sides rapidly forming opposing camps in the online debate.

In response, those disputing the allegations put forward two main arguments. First, they contended that the so-called "tea-drinking stand-in" footage was not from the finished drama at all, but from behind-the-scenes material filmed before shooting began, showing a lighting stand-in (commonly referred to as a guangti or "light double") completing the positioning and lighting test before the crew started filming. They argued that the use of lighting stand-ins is routine practice in the film and television industry and should not be equated with an actor improperly relying on a performance stand-in.

Second, some netizens argued that the scene was a visual misinterpretation caused by excessive blurring during The First Jasmine's post-production process. They maintained that the person shown drinking tea in the scene of the finished drama was in fact Bai Lu herself, and that there was no stand-in involved.

As the controversy intensified, Bai Lu's fans quickly turned their attention to her The First Jasmine co-star Cheng Lei and his team. They argued that the unreleased rehearsal footage could only have been accessed by people within the production, leading them to speculate that Cheng Lei's studio had directed fan accounts or entertainment gossip accounts to circulate the material in an effort to discredit Bai Lu and shift the focus of public opinion.

At that point, the controversy shifted decisively from whether Bai Lu had used a stand-in to whether Cheng Lei's team had actively participated in spreading false rumors. The dispute soon escalated into a large-scale clash between the two stars' fanbases and, within hours, climbed onto both of Weibo's entertainment-related trending lists.

At present, all claims accusing Cheng Lei's team of orchestrating the leak, purchasing trending topics, or actively participating in a smear campaign originate from Bai Lu's fans or personal social media accounts that are broadly supportive of Bai Lu. No direct evidence — such as official documents from Cheng Lei's studio, testimony from internal staff, or authoritative third-party proof — has emerged to substantiate these allegations.

Meanwhile, statements issued by verified accounts associated with Cheng Lei have been limited to denying what they describe as false accusations made by Bai Lu's fans. They have not initiated attacks against Bai Lu, nor have they acknowledged that Cheng Lei's team authorized or facilitated the circulation of the disputed material.

According to reports, after the controversy began trending, a verified "Red V" account associated with Cheng Lei's side was temporarily suspended by the platform for posting controversial content, but the restriction was lifted after only about 30 minutes. Some netizens interpreted the swift reinstatement as evidence that Cheng Lei's team had influential backing. However, there has been no official explanation for the platform's decision, and this interpretation remains speculative rather than evidence-based.

Core arguments of Bai Lu's fans and those disputing the allegations

They argue that, in the corresponding scene of the finished version of The First Jasmine, Bai Lu appears only in two background shots and never actually lifts a teacup, meaning there is no basis for the claim that she used a "tea-drinking stand-in."

They contend that the screenshot allegedly showing a "tea-drinking stand-in" is of uncertain origin and was created by cropping and blurring unreleased footage of a lighting stand-in rehearsing before filming began, then falsely presenting it as evidence against Bai Lu.

They further argue that only people within the production could have accessed the unreleased behind-the-scenes footage. On that basis, they suspect Cheng Lei's studio instructed fans to circulate the material. They also criticize Cheng Lei and his team for remaining silent as the controversy spread, arguing that their failure to discourage fans from attacking the drama amounted to tacit approval.

Some Bai Lu fans have also countered by alleging that Cheng Lei himself relied on multiple stand-ins. Citing a production call sheet that has circulated online, they accuse Cheng Lei's fans of attempting to divert attention by smearing Bai Lu.

Core arguments of Cheng Lei's fans

They argue that the previously reported blurring of a stunt double in The First Jasmine's action scenes is an established fact and contend that Bai Lu has indeed relied excessively on stand-ins, accusing her fans of trying to shift the focus away from that issue.

They maintain that the disputed screenshots were taken from behind-the-scenes footage publicly shared by the production's martial arts director on Douyin (TikTok) as part of a normal rehearsal record, rather than from leaked unreleased material, and accuse Bai Lu's fans of taking the footage out of context.

They also allege that Bai Lu's fans fabricated and edited images to spread false claims that Cheng Lei used five different stand-ins — including a musical instrument double, a stunt double, a performance stand-in, a horse-riding double, and a water stunt double. According to Cheng Lei's fans, production call sheets and other materials have been presented to refute these allegations.
As of 6:00 p.m. (local time) on July 2, 2026, the following points can be confirmed based on publicly available information:

Neither party has issued a public response. Bai Lu and her studio have not publicly addressed the "tea-drinking stand-in" controversy, while Cheng Lei and his studio have likewise not issued any formal statement regarding allegations that his team was involved in leaking or promoting the claims.

The production has made adjustments. After the controversy gained traction online, the official The First Jasmine Weibo account deleted video clips containing the disputed footage, and the corresponding scenes in the drama were also modified. However, the production team has not publicly explained the reason for either the removal of the clips or the changes made to the finished episode.

Meanwhile, The First Jasmine is available to stream on Disney+, WeTV, and Viki.

#cdrama #cdramalovers #cdramafans #CDramaNews #chinesedrama #DisneyPlus #WeTV

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@MyLinh222 💯

[dongdong @dearleizi_edits]

Clarification Regarding Recent Discourse Around The First Jasmine and cheng bailu fanwar.

As fans of Cheng Lei, we want to address the escalating online discourse with clarity, facts, and a mutual respect for the project both leads worked incredibly hard to complete. (1/2)

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@BladeKilra25388 @CentGossip_ In the tea scene, the camera focus was the ml. Bl's character was in the background. It doesnt matter if it was played by a double since she's in the bg. There's a huge chance that she'll get blurred out. FL mostly only needs to be present during focus shots, not background shot.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@onedaywillbeoky @hyvnjaes It seems so premeditated to me. BL & CL has nothing to do with it. ML's team posting ragebait & FL's team is also no better. Instead of explaining the body double's job, they fan the flames. They're inciting fan war either to hide another hot topic or boost the heat index

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@Dearbailu obviously both bl and cl has nothing to do with it. The mess were done by ppl around them to incite fan war to cover up something or increase the drama's heat index.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@BladeKilra25388 @CentGossip_ indeed. ppl acting like having body double is some sort of cheating. A body double is a professional job and essential in production. Other show didn't have a problem with it, they even posting bts of it. These ppl are putting malice on everything.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@tmrudhula Indeed. Something is probably getting cover up. Poj even posted bts with actors acting with body double but for moli, they are making it a big deal.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@purple_apple00 It was his assistant and some of his fans. Not the actor himself.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@lulujiemi i don't think he has enough influence to go against his agency. I think even if he disagree, he will just end up getting silenced. I just feel bad for him. Personally he's a nice person.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@APushpo750 making issue out of having body double, seems like something is going on on the c-ents that needs to be cover up by stirring some fandom rage.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@CoderTobe @petaldewz I haven't seen the orig post but the way I see it, it wasn't a fake rumor that a body double came to sit on fl's place on that background scene but ppl are taking things out of context as if body doubles are illegal. Of course FL has to come and play for her actual focus scene.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@CoderTobe @petaldewz It's normal if a body double playing on the background since the scene focuses on the ml. FL can come on her focused scene. It doesn't make them less of an actor to have double plays for them if their character is sitting on the background and during fight scene.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@dapailong @CentGossip_ What's wrong with having body double? It's normal in the filming set. If you see that a double is playing in the background in place of the actor, that means that the actor was in a different place filming a different scene too or doing preperation. They come during closeup scene

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@pinksbabymon I think the sm 95/5 is based on gross sales, 5% is fixed/free from expenses. The 95% includes the expenses. While other companies 50/50 is profit share after expenses. Otherwise 5% doesn't make sense to me if it's profit share. Just my assumption.

[Dr. Heartstealer 🦋 @emiglaive]

@ohyeahju @luvcardan kings and eunuchs have a whole palanquin carried inside the palace tho.