Chinese Influencer Faked Pregnancy To Boost Social Media Followers

The unhealthy obsession behind the number count on social media still persists as 32-year-old Chinese influencer Chen Xiaosi faked being five months pregnant on a social event of matchmaking in a bid to boost her social media following. 

Wearing a fake baby bump, she attended a social event of matchmaking held in the Sichuan province of southwestern China. A video of the woman sporting a carefully crafted prosthetic bump and strolling into a local matchmaking corner holding a document detailing her requirements for a potential husband. The video that surfaced on the internet has sparked outrage and triggered an official investigation.

To Boost Social Media Followers, Chinese Influencer Faked Pregnancy

The demands of the woman included a comfortable apartment, a car, and a hefty monthly salary exceeding 20,000 yuan. Her insistence that the child, despite not being his, would take the husband's surname further raised eyebrows.

Chen can be seen holding a paper with her personal information detailed on it as it reads: "32 years old, single, no property or car, five months pregnant.".

The paper also listed details about what she is looking for in a husband as Chen kept a few terms: a man must own a car and a flat, his monthly salary should be more than 20,000 yuan, and he must treat her and her unborn child with kindness. 

In the video, Chen is seen talking to a man who took an interest in her she is seen keeping her terms with the man as she says "Although the child is not yours, I'm yours. If you love me, you won't care about whether the child is yours." She also stated that her child would take his surname."

She is seen in another conversation with a man who briefs Chen about having a 40-year-old son who would be willing to marry her but only earns a monthly salary of 7-8 thousand yuan. The influencer gives the man an appalling look and dismisses him with a waving hand gesture of disinterest upon hearing him. 

Videos of the event quickly went viral, with netizens expressing disbelief and disgust at Chen's fabricated persona. The blatant dishonesty, coupled with her materialistic expectations, ignited a wave of criticism. Many viewers questioned the lengths influencers would go to for online fame and expressed concern about the ethical implications of such manipulative tactics.

The viral video then led to a police investigation where Chen revealed it was just a social media stunt to gain followers and admitted it to be a publicity stunt. Currently, her social media account seems to be closed. 

This incident, unfortunately, doesn't stand alone. Instances of influencers resorting to outrageous stunts or misleading narratives for clicks and followers have become increasingly common across the globe. The Chinese influencer's brazen deception serves as a stark reminder of the need for critical online consumption and a renewed focus on ethical influencer behaviour.