Jiang Kun's Red Song Controversy Abroad

February 7th, 2026 Today we’re going to talk about a heated online controversy that surrounded the 75-year-old Chinese crosstalk master Jiang Kun at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 — the so-called "Red Song Controversy Abroad". What started as a short video quickly blew up into a massive public debate /dɪˈbeɪt/, and it’s not just about a celebrity’s accidental gaffe /ɡæf/, but also about public perception /pərˈsepʃn/ of famous figures’ words and deeds /diːdz/, and the huge gap between their public image and real life. Let’s dive into the details step by step. It all started in late December 2025, when a 30-second video went viral on all major Chinese social media platforms. In the video, Jiang Kun was seen sitting in a well-decorated /ˈdekəreɪtɪd/ courtyard with a lawn and a swimming pool, a scene /siːn/ netizens suspected to be a luxury mansion /ˈmænʃn/ in California, the US. He held an accordion /əˈkɔːrdiən/, led a group of friends in singing the patriotic /ˌpeɪtriˈɑːtɪk/ red song My Motherland and Me, and the atmosphere /ˈætməsfɪr/ seemed lively. What made this video controversial was the timing and the setting: it was released around Christmas, a Western traditional festival, and the stark contrast between the overseas luxury mansion and the patriotic/ˌpeɪtriˈɑːtɪk/ red song immediately sparked fierce /fɪrs/ discussions online. Netizens were quick to criticize and question him. Many said he had built a patriotic /ˌpeɪtriˈɑːtɪk/ public image in China, advocating the inheritance of traditional culture and always standing for mainstream values, but secretly lived a luxurious /lʌɡˈʒʊəriəs/ life abroad. They even coined a sarcastic /sɑːˈkæstɪk/ sentence: "I have no regrets being Chinese in this life, living in California for eternity /ɪˈtɜːnəti/" to mock his alleged /əˈledʒd/ double standards. Some netizens also accused him of "making money in China and spending it abroad", a comment that quickly became a hot topic and pushed Jiang Kun to the center of the storm. His social media comment sections were soon flooded with negative remarks, and he had to close them eventually. As the controversy escalated /ˈeskəleɪtɪd/, Jiang Kun’s team responded quickly. On December 26th, his assistant clarified through a senior journalist that the viral video was maliciously /məˈlɪʃəsli/ edited and spliced /splaɪst/, and that Jiang Kun had not traveled abroad recently, but had been busy recording new programs in China. This clarification initially calmed /kɑːmd/ public opinion a little, as the source was considered credible. But things took a dramatic /drəˈmætɪk/ turn soon after — the person who shot the video came forward and denied the "splicing" claim, confirming the video was real. What’s more, the shooter revealed the video was not filmed in the US, which shattered /ˈʃætərd/ the "California mansion" rumor, but they didn’t disclose the exact shooting time and location. This vague /veɪɡ/ response only added more confusion, and public anger flared up again. To make matters worse, two more things fueled the controversy further. First, another famous crosstalk actor Yang Yi posted a video on December 25th, in which he sang My Motherland and Me alone in a traditional Chinese gown. After singing, he said a meaningful sentence: "When I sing this song, only one person is moved; when someone else sings it, everyone is moved." Though he didn’t name names, the timing and content made netizens widely interpret this as a direct satire of Jiang Kun, pushing the online debate to a new high. Second, Jiang Kun’s apprentice Zhou Wei stepped in to "defend" his master, but ended up making things worse. Zhou Wei said publicly that "even if singing red songs in the US is not a big deal" and boasted that "buying a house with one’s own money is nothing to be scolded for". His words directly contradicted the assistant’s claim that "Jiang Kun never went abroad", and pushed his master deeper into the public opinion quagmire. In early January 2026, after the controversy had raged for about a month, Jiang Kun quietly returned to China. People thought he would lay low and reflect on the incident, but his subsequent actions only sparked more criticism. First, at the 7th general election of the China Quyi Society — an organization founded by Jiang Kun himself — he arranged the disgraced Zhou Wei to sit next to him and even appointed Zhou as the new president of a quyi association. Zhou Wei had a bad reputation long before this incident: in 2021, during the Henan floods, he was criticized for refusing to donate money and even insulting netizens who urged him to do so, then lied about his account being hacked. Jiang Kun’s act of favoring his apprentice despite his poor reputation was accused of "appointing people by nepotism", and it made his public image even worse. Second, netizens found that Jiang Kun was secretly making money right after his return. In late January 2026, many merchants released customized blessing videos recorded by Jiang Kun, covering weddings, birthdays and other occasions. Insiders revealed that these videos were priced clearly, meaning he would record any blessing as long as he was paid. This was a far cry from his previous image as a respected veteran artist who dedicated himself to crosstalk and traditional quyi. Netizens also dug up that Jiang Kun had been traveling frequently between China, the US and Japan in recent years, mainly to visit his daughter Jiang Shan in the US. Combining this with his money-making activities in China, the label of "making money in China and enjoying life abroad" was firmly stuck on him, even though a third party confirmed he only stayed abroad for a short time and was not used to living there. Up to now, the controversy hasn’t died down yet, and public opinion is sharply divided. On one side, many netizens still support Jiang Kun. They believe he is a national first-class actor and a inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, who has dedicated his life to the development of crosstalk and traditional quyi. He has appeared on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala 22 times, created many classic crosstalk works, and even donated 300,000 yuan during the 2021 Henan floods. His supporters think the incident is a result of malicious hype by marketing accounts: these accounts delayed releasing the video until Christmas to create a controversial contrast, deleted the context that it was a small farewell party for a friend, and over 50 marketing accounts posted the same content at the same time, obviously for profit. They also point out that Jiang Kun’s travel records show he returned to China before December 24th, so he didn’t spend Christmas in the US at all. On the other side, critics still refuse to accept his side of the story. They think the core issue is not whether the video was spliced or where it was filmed, but the contradiction between Jiang Kun’s words and deeds. Jiang Kun once criticized merchants for hyping Christmas in the past, but now he was seen at a gathering abroad around Christmas singing red songs — this inconsistency made people feel his patriotism was a "performance". As a public figure who has long represented mainstream values and enjoyed the fame and benefits brought by his status in China, his actions made ordinary people feel uncomfortable, especially at a time when many middle-class Chinese are facing life pressures. For ordinary people, the contrast between a celebrity’s luxurious overseas life and their own daily struggles is hard to accept. What’s more, Jiang Kun’s team’s vague initial clarification and his subsequent money-making and nepotism made people doubt his sincerity. Now, Jiang Kun’s team said they will collect evidence and sue the marketing accounts that spread false information, but this hasn’t won back public trust. This incident is not just about a single video or a single remark; it reflects a deeper social issue: the high expectations the public has for famous figures. Public figures enjoy the convenience and benefits brought by their fame, so they have a greater responsibility to match their words with their deeds. Their every move is under the public’s watch, and any inconsistency between their public image and real life will easily trigger public dissatisfaction. Singing red songs is not a problem in itself — patriotism is a noble emotion, but it should be sincere, not a "prop" for one’s image. At the end of today’s podcast, we can say this incident is a lesson for all public figures. No matter how accomplished you are, you can’t forget your roots, and you must always respect the public’s feelings. For the public, we should also keep a rational mind when facing online controversies, not follow the trend blindly, and wait for the truth to come out. That’s all for today’s content, thank you for listening, and we’ll see you next time!