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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Technology
Ziyad Jamal

Chinese Influencer Loses 30M Fans and Is Forced to Apologise for Fake Story About 'Grade 1 Student'

The 29-year-old online influencer later admitted that her story about the lost study books was fake and apologised for her actions. (Credit: Weibo)

Famous Chinese influencer Xu Jiayi (also known as Thurman Maoyibei) had her social media accounts taken down after she fabricated a story about a Chinese boy forgetting his school books in a Paris restaurant.

In February 2024, the 29-year-old was at a cafe in Paris for the Lunar New Year when she alleges a server approached her regarding two Chinese schoolbooks left in the toilets. Xu posted about it across her social media channels, with an accumulative following of 30 million fans.

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