‘Too shameless’: man in China demands share of influencer ex-wife’s Douyin account with 800,000 followers worth US$280,000, makes joint property claim

Tian, a garment vendor, registered an account on Douyin, China’s TikTok, under her name in 2017.

She released video clips about her fashion tastes and anecdotes about her daily life, amassing 800,000 followers and 15 million likes by the time she and Zhang divorced in 2019.

Zhang, who was jobless when the account started to take off, helped Tian shoot videos and deliver goods.

Their financial situation improved thanks to Tian’s online fame and the couple bought a flat and two expensive cars, according to the report.

During the divorce, they agreed to split their common assets like property and vehicles, and Tian was given guardianship of their child.

However, a recent hit TV drama series in which a protagonist said a short video account could be sold for money inspired Zhang to request half the value of Tian’s Douyin account.

“During our marriage, she had 800,000 fans. Someone told me that a top-tier account like hers is worth at least two million yuan (US$280,000). Her account is our joint property, so I deserve one million yuan,” Zhang was quoted as saying.

Tian claimed she does not make money directly through her Douyin account.

“I do not ask my fans to reward me financially, and I do not broadcast live-streaming sessions to sell goods. This account only helps guide online traffic to my WeChat account, where I sell clothes,” she added.

Xiong Yi, a judge at the court, said it was legally sound for the man to ask for the woman to share part of her Douyin account’s profits since it was operated during their marriage.

“But this account is registered with Tian’s real name, meaning it cannot be bought and sold on the market, so it is difficult to estimate how much it is worth,” Xiong told the newspaper.

After multiple rounds of mediation, the couple reached an agreement whereby Zhang paid his ex-wife 200,000 yuan (US$28,000) to access her Douyin account for a designated period, although the court did not reveal the length of time.

The strange arrangement has captured online attention, and Zhang has been widely mocked.

“This man is way too shameless,” commented one online observer.

Another person joked that Zhang should “ask those 800,000 fans whom they want to follow”.

“What a weird case. It opened my eyes, haha,” wrote a third person.

Another strange divorce settlement caught public attention last year when a childless couple divorced and could not agree on who would take custody of their pet dog.

The couple accepted a solution where the dog would live with the woman while the man paid alimony in exchange for visitation rights.