Chinese Film Starring Convicted Murderer as Herself Sparks Controversy, Release Indefinite
The Chinese film "The Mom from Prison" has sparked controversy for starring Zhao Xiaohong, a woman convicted of killing her husband, as herself. The film is facing accusations of "whitewashing" a murderer and questions about the legality of her participation in the filming while serving her sentence. Following a large-scale boycott by netizens and the withdrawal of producer Wang Han, the film's release, originally scheduled for May 30, is now uncertain.
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- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 13:49
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(CNA, by reporter Chang Chien, Hong Kong, 20th) According to reports, the Chinese film "The Mom from Prison" has recently stirred controversy in mainland China. The reason is that the protagonist is played by a female prisoner convicted in a spousal murder case, leading to accusations of "whitewashing" a murderer. Its release date is now uncertain, and one of its producers has issued an apology, announcing a severing of all ties with the film's production team.
Citing reports from mainland China, Hong Kong media reported today that "The Mom from Prison" is adapted from a spousal murder case in Shaanxi Province. It tells the true story of the protagonist, Zhao Xiaohong (original name Zhao Xiaohong), who was imprisoned years ago for accidentally killing her husband while resisting domestic violence.
The film was originally scheduled for release on the 30th of this month but has recently faced a large-scale boycott from mainland netizens. They accuse the filmmakers of "whitewashing" a murderer into an anti-domestic violence heroine and have raised questions about the protagonist participating in filming while serving her sentence.
According to reports, one of the film's producers, famous mainland host Wang Han, issued an apology in the early hours of this morning, announcing the severing of all ties with the filmmakers and the removal of his name as a producer from the film.
In his statement, Wang Han expressed that his initial intention was to support artistic creation but admitted he failed to conduct sufficient due diligence on the project's background and content, negligently agreeing to be listed as a producer. He emphasized that he did not invest in the film.
Reports state that on April 15, 2009, Zhao Xiaohong and her husband fought over household chores. She stabbed him in the chest with a knife, causing his death. She was ultimately sentenced to 15 years in prison for "intentional injury" and was deprived of political rights for 5 years.
Some netizens have pointed out that the court's verdict did not recognize that she had suffered from domestic violence or that it was an act of self-defense.
However, film producer Shen Fen responded on Weibo, stating that the verdict explicitly mentioned details of the abuse on the night of the incident, such as Zhao Xiaohong's husband "punching her head with his fists" and "kicking her lower back with his feet." Shen argued that the film expresses the tragic motive of "retaliating due to abuse," which "does not equate to admitting the act was legal."
According to reports, another point of controversy is that the producers applied for approval from the Ministry of Justice under the pretext of "filming a documentary on prison education and reform" to allow Zhao Xiaohong to participate in the filming while serving her sentence.
Lawyer Zhou Zhaocheng from Beijing Anjian Law Firm told mainland media that prison law, in principle, prohibits inmates from participating in commercial film shoots, only allowing non-commercial activities related to rehabilitation. If the filmmakers obtained approval under the guise of public welfare to actually produce a commercial film, it would be a violation of prison regulations.
According to reports, Zhao Xiaohong won the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance at the San Sebastián International Film Festival last year for her role in this film.
Citing reports from mainland China, Hong Kong media reported today that "The Mom from Prison" is adapted from a spousal murder case in Shaanxi Province. It tells the true story of the protagonist, Zhao Xiaohong (original name Zhao Xiaohong), who was imprisoned years ago for accidentally killing her husband while resisting domestic violence.
The film was originally scheduled for release on the 30th of this month but has recently faced a large-scale boycott from mainland netizens. They accuse the filmmakers of "whitewashing" a murderer into an anti-domestic violence heroine and have raised questions about the protagonist participating in filming while serving her sentence.
According to reports, one of the film's producers, famous mainland host Wang Han, issued an apology in the early hours of this morning, announcing the severing of all ties with the filmmakers and the removal of his name as a producer from the film.
In his statement, Wang Han expressed that his initial intention was to support artistic creation but admitted he failed to conduct sufficient due diligence on the project's background and content, negligently agreeing to be listed as a producer. He emphasized that he did not invest in the film.
Reports state that on April 15, 2009, Zhao Xiaohong and her husband fought over household chores. She stabbed him in the chest with a knife, causing his death. She was ultimately sentenced to 15 years in prison for "intentional injury" and was deprived of political rights for 5 years.
Some netizens have pointed out that the court's verdict did not recognize that she had suffered from domestic violence or that it was an act of self-defense.
However, film producer Shen Fen responded on Weibo, stating that the verdict explicitly mentioned details of the abuse on the night of the incident, such as Zhao Xiaohong's husband "punching her head with his fists" and "kicking her lower back with his feet." Shen argued that the film expresses the tragic motive of "retaliating due to abuse," which "does not equate to admitting the act was legal."
According to reports, another point of controversy is that the producers applied for approval from the Ministry of Justice under the pretext of "filming a documentary on prison education and reform" to allow Zhao Xiaohong to participate in the filming while serving her sentence.
Lawyer Zhou Zhaocheng from Beijing Anjian Law Firm told mainland media that prison law, in principle, prohibits inmates from participating in commercial film shoots, only allowing non-commercial activities related to rehabilitation. If the filmmakers obtained approval under the guise of public welfare to actually produce a commercial film, it would be a violation of prison regulations.
According to reports, Zhao Xiaohong won the Silver Shell for Best Leading Performance at the San Sebastián International Film Festival last year for her role in this film.