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Zhang Lan and her son, Wang Xiaofei (Barbie Hsu's controversial ex-husband), have found themselves indefinitely banned from Douyin, China's version of TikTok.
The platform cited repeated violations and misinformation as the reasons behind the decision.
The controversy began following the passing of Barbie Hsu, also known as Big S.
A Douyin account, “I Am Xia Xiaojian (我是夏小建),” claimed that Wang Xiaofei had paid for a private jet to return Big S's ashes to Taiwan.
This sparked heated debate online.
Big S’s sister, Dee Hsu, stepped in to set the record straight.
Through her manager, she clarified that all arrangements, including the private jet, were organised by the Hsu family.
It was revealed that the Douyin account responsible for the claims had links to Zhang Lan.
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The account holder referred to Zhang as their "godmother," fuelling speculation about a deeper connection.
Douyin's Vice President, Li Liang, confirmed that the account had been permanently removed for spreading false information about Big S.
He condemned those exploiting her death for attention or profit. Zhang Lan and Wang Xiaofei’s accounts were also banned indefinitely for repeated platform violations.
Weibo took similar action, deleting over 2,100 posts spreading false rumours about Big S’s will and funeral. The platform also suspended or terminated more than 100 accounts involved.
While Zhang Lan's live-streaming privileges were restricted, Weibo stated there was no recent evidence of malicious marketing on her part.
The public has largely supported these actions. Many netizens are urging platforms to enforce stricter rules against exploiting tragedies for clicks and rumours.