Angelababy’s comeback: will she take on the global stage? The Hong Kong star was banned from Weibo over Blackpink’s Lisa’s cabaret show – but she just appeared at the Baftas gala before her birthday
Actress and model Angela Yeung, better known by her stage name Angelababy, finally made a move to stage her comeback ahead of her 35th birthday – which takes place today, February 28.
She was among a slew of stars whose accounts were suspended from the platform for “violation of relevant laws and regulations”, per Bloomberg.
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Following her alleged appearance at the Crazy Horse show as a member of the audience in September last year – which the organiser has denied – she has been noticeably missing from the public eye.
Angelababy was a long-time cast member of Chinese reality show Keep Running, a remake of the popular South Korean show Running Man, but her name was notably absent from the upcoming season’s cast list. Fans assumed she was skipped for the same reason seemingly behind her Weibo account suspension.
Her Instagram account, where she shares moments from her jet-setting life with more than 11 million followers at the time of writing, was dormant for months – which coincided with her Weibo ban. It only became active again this month, where she began posting about her appearance at the opening of a resort in Dubai. There, she walked the carpet in a white dress and a Breitling watch, a brand she continues working with as an ambassador.
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Perhaps fearing getting cancelled again in China, Angelababy appears to be setting her sights on the international stage. Her other post-ban appearance was at the Bafta gala in London earlier this month, where she donned another timepiece from Breitling with jewellery from British jewellery designer Stephen Webster. In a nod to her connection to Hong Kong, she wore a pink cheongsam-inspired beaded lace evening gown by Barney Cheng.
Fully embracing international opportunities would be a natural next step in her career. Though she initially found fame in Hong Kong and mainland China as a model and actress, featuring in a large number of films and period television dramas, the actress has a leg up when it comes to expanding her fan base.
It’s not only overseas movie directors who’ve taken notice of Angelababy’s popularity – brands have long tapped into the actress’ broad appeal. Besides Breitling, she’s partnered with luxury brands including American jeweller Tiffany & Co, donning the Tiffany T collection, among others. Make-up brand Charlotte Tilbury also named her its global beauty muse last year.
The actress is also the face of French shoe and accessories brand Roger Vivier, and can be seen at its events and starring in several of its campaigns and photo shoots.
- This month, the actress posted a photo of herself at a Dubai resort opening wearing a Breitling watch; she’s also worked with Tiffany & Co, Charlotte Tilbury and Roger Vivier
- She was banned from Weibo with speculation that she violated China’s entertainment morality code after allegedly attending Blackpink’s Lisa’s Crazy Horse show in Paris – though the organiser denied it