Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun is suing actress Jing Tian and her parents to recover a traditional bride price payment.
The legal battle highlights a clash between modern celebrity culture and traditional marriage customs in China, involving a significant sum of money.
Sun alleges that he paid a bride price of 30 million yuan [1], which is approximately U.S.$4.5 million [2], to the parents of Jing Tian. He is now seeking the return of these funds through the court system.
Jing Tian has responded to the allegations. She rejected the claim and said she will not sell love for money.
Details regarding the timeline of the relationship remain inconsistent. Some reports indicate that Sun proposed to Jing Tian in January, though other sources say the exact timeline of their relationship is unclear [1], [2].
The dispute centers on the "bride price," a traditional practice in some Chinese cultures where the groom's family provides a payment to the bride's family. While the practice persists in various forms, it frequently leads to legal disputes when relationships end before marriage is finalized.
Jing Tian's public rebuttal suggests the claims are false. She framed the issue as a matter of principle, stating that love should not be treated as a commodity to be bought or sold.
“Justin Sun is suing actress Jing Tian and her parents to recover a traditional bride price payment.”
This case underscores the continuing tension between traditional Chinese matrimonial customs and contemporary legal frameworks. The use of a 'bride price' often complicates the dissolution of relationships, as the payments are sometimes viewed as gifts and other times as conditional contracts. A court ruling on this matter could provide further clarity on how traditional customs are treated under modern Chinese civil law.
