Chinese Influencer Under Fire For Posting Wife's 23-Hour Labour For Views: "Shameless Marketing"

A Chinese influencer, known as "Paul in USA," is facing backlash after posting a 23-hour childbirth video of his wife that many viewers found exploitative and "shameless." Born in 1990, the influencer is a Columbia University graduate and a former Microsoft product manager based in Seattle who has amassed over 12.2 million followers on Douyin.

According to South China Morning Post, the video documented his wife's entire labour process, including his wife's exposed body and a severe medical emergency where she suffered a third-degree perineal tear and lost 3,344ml of blood due to postpartum hemorrhage. Fortunately, both the mother and their newborn daughter were declared safe after an emergency operation and blood transfusion. 

The Outrage and Repercussions

However, Paul's decision sparked widespread criticism, with many calling out his actions as insensitive and exploitative. Public outrage intensified because the video also included a paid nappy advertisement. Paul reportedly read the promotional script on camera while his wife was undergoing an emergency blood transfusion.

On February 10, his wife released a statement defending the footage, claiming they intended to "authentically document" the process and help others understand the unpredictability and risks of childbirth. 

"Our intention was to authentically document the childbirth process. We did not anticipate complications during filming, but still felt it was important to share the footage. Some people told us it helped them better understand the risks and unpredictability of childbirth: not every delivery is smooth; some are extremely dangerous," she said.

Following the backlash, Paul's account was banned from Weibo and Douyin on February 11 for violating platform policies regarding privacy and commercial ethics.

According to data from the Xingtu platform, Paul charges substantial amounts for short videos, specifically 250,000 yuan (Rs 32,93,187) for clips lasting between one and 20 seconds, 278,000 yuan for videos between 21 and 60 seconds (Rs 36,62,116), and 298,000 yuan (Rs 39,25,577) for videos exceeding 60 seconds. The exact amount he earned from the nappy advertisement featuring his partner is unclear.

Internet Backlash

While the video has been deleted, the incident has sparked a broader debate in China regarding the ethics of using deeply personal medical crises for online traffic and profit. Many in China accused him of exploiting his partner's personal situation for online traffic and views. 

One user wrote, "His wife was suffering from a severe perineal tear and massive bleeding, and her life was at risk, but he was still filming, even inserting ads. Banning him feels too lenient."

Another commented, "True respect is not about exposing the most vulnerable, painful, and dangerous moments to the entire internet. Someone who truly loves their partner would be panicking, not filming for views."

"If it were a genuine documentary or educational piece, that would be one thing. But while his wife was being rescued, he was busy reading an ad script on camera. That is not making content, it is shameless marketing," a third added.