BBC Homepage
  • Skip to content
  • Accessibility Help
  • Your account
  • Notifications
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • More menu
More menu
Search BBC
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
Close menu
BBC News
Menu
  • Home
  • InDepth
  • Israel-Gaza war
  • War in Ukraine
  • Climate
  • UK
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Culture
More
  • Tech
  • Science
  • Health
  • Family & Education
  • In Pictures
  • Newsbeat
  • BBC Verify
  • Disability
  • BBC Trending

TFBoys: Wang Yuan sorry over illegal smoking

  • Published
    21 May 2019
Share page
About sharing
Wang YuanImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Wang Yuan was caught illegally smoking in a restaurant

Dhruti Shah, BBC News
& Kerry Allen, BBC Monitoring

One of China's biggest boybanders has apologised after he was caught smoking illegally in a Beijing restaurant.

Wang Yuan, who also uses the English name Roy Wang, is considered to be one of the country's most "socially responsible" public figures, so this transgression has caused Chinese social media to fall into meltdown.

Wang Yuan's timing isn't ideal as China's government has stepped up a campaign to make it extremely difficult for celebrities to have any positive comeback if they are seen to do something that might negatively impact the country's youth population.

Punishment due

Beijing Health Supervision Authority has issued a statement saying that "smoking is prohibited in public places, indoor workplaces and on public transportation."

It says that the city's local health agency is conducting an investigation and that Wang will be "punished according to law".

The 18-year-old was caught puffing on a lit cigarette in the image shared by Sohu Entertainment, external on its social media channels. He was apparently out with fellow stars, the actor Jia Nailiang and singer Yang Chaoyue at the restaurant, which the Beijing Youth Daily has identified as Japanese restaurant Sushi Tong.

Wang Yuan's apology on Weibo - where he has more than 72 million followers - has had hundreds of thousands of replies.

The singer, who is also a Unicef Special Advocate for Education and was one of Time Magazine's "30 most influential teens of 2017", external says: "This incident has made me deeply reflect on my own behaviour and I am very sorry and embarrassed about the adverse social impact that I have created".

He adds that he will bear responsibility and accept punishment for his actions.

TFBoys star Wang Yuan says: This incident has made me deeply reflect on my own behaviour and I am very sorry and embarrassed about the adverse social impact that I have created".Image source, TFBoys/Weibo
Image caption,

Wang Yuan took to social media to apologise about the contents of the picture

The teenager's reputation so far has been rather squeaky clean and besides being a singer, songwriter, television host and actor, his reputation is based on his activism and charitable work.

Comments are coming fast and thick with the hashtag #RoyWangSmokes , externalbeing used more than 369,000 times, while #RoyWangApologises appears on Weibo , externalmore than 1.3m times

But in recent months, any whiff of a celebrity scandal, no matter how seemingly small it is, has seen Weibo users seek immediate action against the culprit - and broadcast/print media responding brutally by ensuring that such celebrities are pulled off the airwaves.

Singers Jackson Yee (aka Yi Yangqianxi), Karry Wang Junkai and Roy Wang Yuan of boy group TFBoysImage source, VCG/Getty
Image caption,

Wang Yuan, on the right, is a member of China's biggest boy band, along with (L-R) Jackson Yee (aka Yi Yangqianxi) and Karry Wang Junkai

The teenager has got a huge fan base, so lots of Weibo users are commending him for "recognising his mistakes".

Some are also calling on him to take better care of himself, noting the pressures he must be under in the public eye.

But others are delighting at the dilemma this creates for the authorities, with one saying "the image of CCTV's youth representative has collapsed".

Others are commenting on the bad example he sets to young people. But there's a lot of wider discussion over whether, in his case, celebrities can bounce back, and whether anyone in the public eye can make a mistake anymore.

Meanwhile he's not the only one in trouble. The Beijing Youth Daily paper says that the local authorities have investigated and found that the Sushi Tong restaurant "violated relevant requirements".

The restaurant has been ordered to make corrections within a time limit, or else "be dealt with according to law".

More on this story

  • Vanished China star gets 0% 'goodness' rating

    • Published
      11 September 2018
    Actress Fan Bingbing
  • Chinese actor sorry for Japan comments

    • Published
      4 April 2019
    Zhang Hanyun standing beside Zhao Lixin

Top stories

  • Live. 

    Netanyahu says Israel intends to take full control of all of Gaza as security cabinet meets

    • 7601 viewing7.6k viewing
  • Interest rates cut to lowest level in more than two years

    • Published
      2 hours ago
  • Faisal Islam: Why has the Bank of England cut rates?

    • Published
      4 hours ago

More to explore

  • Faisal Islam: Why has the Bank of England cut rates?

    Andrew Bailey, Bank of England governor, looks straight at the camera. he's wearing glasses and a dark suit.
  • Why Trump-Putin talks unlikely to bring rapid end to Ukraine war

    A composite image of Donald Trump on the left and Vladimir Putin on the right. Both men are wearing suits.
  • Extra-strong nicotine pouches packaged like children's sweets

    A photo of three small tubs of nicotine pouches. One is orange and has a picture of a smiling orange on the cover with loads of small oranges under neath the word Millions. It does not mention the word nicotine. The Candys pack is pink with colourful gummy bears on it. It says "Sweet nicopods".
  • The secret system Hamas uses to pay government salaries

    Armed members of Hamas stand in camouflage uniforms in front of a white car. Their faces are covered by balaclavas.
  • My 30-year-old world record 'not a good sign for athletics' - Edwards

    • Attribution
      Sport
    Jonathan Edwards celebrates after setting the triple jump world record in 1995
  • On Ukraine's front line, twisted wreckage shows sanctions haven't yet stopped Russia

    Dymtro Chubenko stands in front of a pile of Russian missile and drone parts
  • I have complex PTSD but waiting list means I've only seen psychiatrist once in 10 years

    Amy
  • How Europe is vying for rare earth independence from China

    Storage tanks and overhead pipes amid a bright blue sky at Solvay's rare earths processing facility in La Rochelle, western France
  • Summer Essential: Your family’s guide to the summer, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday

    concentric circles ranging from orange to yellow to represent the sun, with a blue sky background
loading elsewhere stories

Most read

  1. 1

    Pair arrested after water sprayed at Orthodox Jews

  2. 2

    Ex-Superman actor says he's becoming ICE agent

  3. 3

    Daily weight loss pill could help patients lose 12% of body weight

  4. 4

    UK says British Steel's Chinese owners demanding millions

  5. 5

    Faisal Islam: Why has the Bank of England cut rates?

  6. 6

    Dozens of migrants detained under 'one in, one out' deal with France

  7. 7

    David Lammy to host JD Vance at country residence

  8. 8

    Housing minister faces calls to resign over rent hike 'hypocrisy'

  9. 9

    Interest rates cut to lowest level in more than two years

  10. 10

    Why Trump-Putin talks unlikely to bring rapid end to Ukraine war

BBC News Services

  • On your mobile
  • On smart speakers
  • Get news alerts
  • Contact BBC News

Destination X

  • Your latest reality TV obsession has landed on iPlayer

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Destination X
  • Rob Brydon welcomes you to Destination X

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Destination X
  • Get on board and play along at home

    • Attribution
      Game
    Destination X Game
  • Where the X are they off to next?

    • Attribution
      iPlayer
    Destination X
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • iPlayer
  • Sounds
  • Bitesize
  • CBBC
  • CBeebies
  • Food
  • Terms of Use
  • About the BBC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Accessibility Help
  • Parental Guidance
  • Contact the BBC
  • Make an editorial complaint
  • BBC emails for you

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.