Stop pressuring me to get married! Image: Mark Cheong for The Straits Times
Zhang Ziyi is blaming us for her single lady-dom.
Speaking to a pack of Singapore press in one of the promotional rounds for her latest film, Ziyi insists she isn’t the difficult diva Chinese reporters have made her out to be – not least when it comes to cowing her Chinese compatriot Wang Feng into marrying her.
Rather, Ziyi says – and we quote in full: “I've never pushed him. It's the media.”
Oh, and proving that the good woman isn’t the crabby crone some of us have pegged her to be, Ziyi also swivelled her attention to an English-speaking scribe and delivered this doozy of a pull-quote: “You understand, right? You won't write it wrongly?” Roger that, duly noted!
All jesting aside, the 35-year-old A-lister does have a point; an expat friend working in China has complained more than once about the ubiquity of Ziyi’s scowling mug plastered all over the Guangzhou gossip rags.
Another interesting thing to note: Ziyi has been surprisingly forthcoming when fielding queries about her love life. Besides the “I’ve never pushed him” assertion, she’s also offered this Instagram-worthy #QOTD: “When it comes to marriage and life, you have to go with the flow and let nature take its course. You can't plan how relationships pan out [and] you won't know what will happen tomorrow.”
A Zen lady with a self-deprecating sense of humour? Who are you and what have you done with our famously feisty Zhang Ziyi?
Well played, Ziyi, well played. Perhaps leopards really do change their spots. We’ll be sure to catch your new epic period drama, which is looking really good, by the way. Judge for yourself in the trailer for The Crossing below. Enjoy!
You can follow Zhang Ziyi on her fansite at www.helloziyi.com.