Huang Xiaoming announces romance with internet celebrity

After more than two years of speculation by netizens, Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming has announced his romance with internet celebrity Ye Ke.

In a Weibo post yesterday (Sept 19), the 46-year-old tagged her and wrote: "Sorry to take up public resources, no more guessing everyone, we are together."

Ye Ke, 32, reposted it with a heart emoji.

The announcement comes after netizens speculated Xiaoming was newly married when Ye Ke posted a photo of a pear-shaped diamond ring — reportedly five carats — on her Douyin account on Sept 17.

A netizen commented with a photo that Xiaoming had uploaded on his Weibo account the same day, of him enjoying a reunion dinner with his parents and his son, asking Ye Ke if she took the photo.

Xiaoming was married to Chinese actress Angelababy for six years until January 2022 and they have a son.

Two netizens, allegedly Ye Ke's close friend and her assistant, responded: "They are married, if they didn't spend Mid-Autumn Festival together, do you think he would spend it with you instead?"

Rumours of their marriage soon topped the Weibo entertainment hot search chart on Sept 18.

Taiwanese media Next Apple reportedly published an article yesterday after contacting Xiaoming about the rumours, and he allegedly responded: "Not married".

However, Ye Ke made a Weibo post yesterday with a screenshot of a conversation she had with Xiaoming and his manager, and they called Xiaoming's response in the article "fabricated".

In the conversation, Xiaoming wrote that he would talk to someone, presumably the media. At the end of the screenshot, a message from Xiaoming read: "You don't do anything, I will do it."

Ye Ke's post has since been deleted and Next Apple's article was also unpublished.

He then proceeded to announce their relationship.

Xiaoming and Ye Ke have been romantically linked since February 2022, one month after he and Angelababy announced their divorce.

Both posted similar photos of handmade panda tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) on the same day, leading netizens to speculate they were in a relationship. However, Ye Ke reportedly said in May that year that she was still single.

Over the next two years, they were frequently seen spending time together and were spotted last month out on a date on Qixi Festival, also called the Chinese Valentine's Day.

Ye Ke is reportedly divorced with two children.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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