‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’: Chinese woman accused of being too beautiful to be an Oxford graduate pushes back cyberbullies
- Kate Zhu Wenqi was criticised heavily when a video of her graduation went viral on mainland Chinese social media
- Almost 10 months on, Zhu posts her reply to the criticisms and says she has not let the attacks get to her
A Chinese woman subjected to a vicious online bullying campaign after posting a video of her graduation from Oxford University and accused of lying about her degree has responded to the attacks almost 10 months later.
Kate Zhu Wenqi came under intense public scrutiny in March after the video of her receiving a master’s degree in mathematics with the highest marks in her course went viral.
She was hit by an avalanche of critical commentary with people questioning the authenticity of her degree, claiming she did not look like a “typical top student”. Others accused her of perpetuating stereotypes of academic elites.
Her post went viral on mainland social media; on Weibo alone, it was viewed more than 160 million times.
Zhu, 28, shares posts that are typical of many women her age - photos of her looking well-groomed and in stylish outfits, social activities, travel, and lots of outdoor sports, including rowing, rock climbing, golf and equestrianism.
