Scandal of the star who wanted her surrogate babies aborted at 7 months: Prada model TV actress is accused of 'abusing' and abandoning her two children - and is now blacklisted and living in poverty

She had the world at her feet after rising to fame in a popular Chinese television show before a surrogacy scandal ruined it all. Zheng Shuang, originally from Shenyang, China, enjoyed all the perks of being a successful actress after her 2009 breakout role in Meteor Show, including modelling for Prada and receiving nominations at prestigious award shows. The 33-year-old's personal life equally flourished, and she was enjoying a romantic relationship with one of China's biggest reality TV producers, Zhang Heng, with the pair marrying in America in 2019 before opting to become parents via surrogacy.

China forbids surrogacy, but travelling abroad to have surrogate children has increasingly become an option for some Chinese couples, particularly wealthy ones. Things took a turn shortly after they exchanged vows when the couple's relationship broke down two months before the surrogate babies were due. She faced accusations of demanding in a recorded phone call that the surrogate mothers abort their foetuses seven months into the pregnancies, despite her ex offering to be a single father. Zheng accused the producer of attempting to extort her.

Shockwaves reverberated around China when Zhang alleged that the US-based children, born to two separate women in late 2019 and early 2020, were physically abused while in Zheng's care - a claim she unequivocally denies. Now, the actress, who was dropped by Prada, has lost her riches and enviable lifestyle, and is said to be grappling with intense financial issues. Reports claim that she is facing threats from creditors regarding a lack of debt repayments.

She was once a highly regarded actress in China, but Zheng Shuang suffered a fall from grace after being found at the centre of series of shocking scandals (seen at a 2020 Prada event in China). In January 2021, Zhang took to Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, to explain his 'helpless' situation, saying that he had remained in the US to care for his children, whom he described as 'two young and innocent lives', according to BBC.

Given that fans had not seen the actress pregnant publicly, it came as a surprise for many and simultaneously set off a debate about whether surrogacy should be completely banned in China, according to the South China Morning Post. 'Surrogacy is clearly banned in our country, as its disregard to life makes one's blood boil,' China Central Television, the state broadcaster, said. 'No law or ethics will allow it.'.

Chinese outlets found American birth certificates from the states of Colorado and Nevada detailing the birth of a boy on December 19, 2019, and a girl on January 4, 2020. Zheng's name was listed on both documents, with a date of birth matching her Chinese legal documents. The drama continued when secret phone recordings of the couple were made public, where the two families discussed the options available after their split.

Zheng's father suggested the couple abandon their children at the hospital - an action the celebrity producer's father branded illegal. Actress Zheng Shuang and her ex-boyfriend Zhang Heng are pictured in Shanghai, China in 2019. The Zhang family released a recording where the two families can be overheard discussing the options over the newborns, which included abandoning them (pictured Zhang with his children).

Zhang said he noticed a burn under his son's nose (pictured) after the toddler returned from spending time with his mother. The Zhengs suggested putting the children up for adoption while begrudging the fact the children were not aborted while in the womb. Zheng's attitude during the alleged call and the fact that she allegedly considered forcing the surrogate mothers to terminate their pregnancies because she didn't want the babies saw her come under fierce criticism online.

The hashtags of their birth certificates and the alleged recording saw 1.53 billion and 1.96 billion views on Weibo. Zheng, who was photographed in a Prada ad campaign nine days prior, was sacked from her position at the Italian fashion house, making her the most short-lived brand ambassador in the brand's history. At the time, Prada said: 'Following significant recent media coverage of her personal life, Prada Group has today decided to cancel its collaboration with the actress Zheng Shuang, which was announced January 11, 2021.'.

The hashtag #DoYouSupportSurrogacy trended on Weibo, with many claiming the route to parenthood is morally unethical, according to the BBC. The producer alleged that Zheng had abandoned their children two years on from their split and did not want to sign legal papers which would allow the children to travel to China. Zheng denied the allegations and instead claimed that Zhang was cheating on her in September 2019. She eventually returned to China alone while Zhang settled in Denver with his parents and children.