A court in central China has ordered a woman to publicly apologise to her husband after ruling that her social media posts exposing his extramarital affair crossed the legal line into defamation — a decision that has sparked widespread debate online.
The woman, Niu Na, from Henan province, revealed on social media that she had been married to her husband Gao Fei for more than a decade and that the couple share a daughter. According to Niu, she later discovered that Gao, a team leader at a local coal mining company, had been involved in a five-year affair with a married colleague surnamed Han.
Niu alleged that during the affair, Gao used the couple’s joint assets to purchase gold jewellery, cosmetics and clothing for his mistress. Enraged by the betrayal, she took to Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, where she publicly disclosed details of the relationship, named workplaces linked to both individuals, and shared a sarcastic short story mocking her husband’s infidelity.
Soon after the posts gained attention, Gao filed a lawsuit accusing Niu of defamation. The court ruled in his favour, stating that personal moral misconduct does not justify violating another person’s legal rights or reputation, regardless of the circumstances.
As part of the judgment, Niu was ordered to post public apology videos for 15 consecutive days, with each video subject to court approval. Under Chinese civil law, defamation can result in legal obligations including a public apology, cessation of harmful behaviour and, in some cases, financial compensation.
Since January 12, Niu has been uploading daily apology videos on Douyin. In one clip, she says:
“I was overwhelmed by anger and made the wrong decision to insult you. I am sorry.”
However, the apology videos — delivered with a notably ironic tone — quickly went viral. Within days, Niu amassed millions of likes and gained more than 350,000 followers, turning the court-mandated apology into an unexpected social media phenomenon.
In the videos, Niu continues to reference her husband’s affair, sharing screenshots of chat records, financial transfers, and even images showing Gao’s injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by his mistress’s husband. In one video, she remarks sarcastically:
“You and your mistress are clearly in true love. Even with serious moral flaws, your reputation deserves respect.”
In another post, Niu displayed injuries she said were caused by domestic violence, adding that while she had suffered deeply, her emotional distress did not excuse her actions.
“Emotional issues should be handled legally,” she said.
Public reaction has been overwhelmingly supportive. Many users praised her composure and criticised the legal outcome, arguing that she was punished for exposing wrongdoing. Some commenters suggested her apology videos should be broadcast publicly to highlight the irony of the ruling.
Capitalising on her sudden popularity, Niu has begun selling clothing, hair accessories and cosmetics featured in her videos, while also hosting livestreams sharing her personal journey and promoting her hometown. Each livestream reportedly attracts more than 10,000 viewers.
It remains unclear whether Niu and Gao have formally divorced, though the two are currently living separately. Niu has said the betrayal took a severe toll on her health, but thanked her supporters for helping her move forward.
“Your love and encouragement give me the strength to keep going,” she told followers.
