Chinese makeup and beauty influencer Li Jiaqi, known as the "King of Lipstick," sobbed while apologizing again on Monday evening, after his "inappropriate remarks" made against a netizen a day before triggered a very heated discussion online. The netizen had complained that a home-made eyebrow pencil was "too expensive".
"Today I'd like to seriously say 'sorry' to you guys," Li stood in front of the camera and made the apology at the beginning of his livestreaming.Since Sunday evening, Li's remarks against the netizen have been trending on Sina Weibo. During his livestreaming on Monday evening, Li responded to many controversies against him."I once said that Li Jiaqi's feathers were given by all the girls one by one, and it is the support and trust of all the girls that let me go thus far to today step by step. No matter at what time, I should not forget where I came from, let alone lose myself," Li said.
"My very inappropriate remarks let you down. I should not and I am not qualified to casually comment on any netizen from the personnel perspective," Li said, noting that he had recognized that this inappropriate expression was disrespectful to others and that anyone has the right to express opinions and ideas about the products during the livestreaming.Li said that he had been reflecting on the incident and had reviewed netizens' online comments, sincerely accepting all criticism and suggestions from the public.Li was making a pitch about an eyebrow pen on Saturday evening on Taobao Live, Alibaba's live-streaming platform. He then read out a comment from a viewer saying the product including two refills priced at 79 yuan ($10.8) has become more expensive.Li seemed to be upset about the comment and said the price of the product has remained unchanged over the years.
"The product is expensive? Sometimes people need to find the reasons why they haven't received a pay rise after working so many years. Have they worked hard enough?" he said.Many people then said Li's comments were inappropriate and had made them angry. The topic of his comment became one of the most discussed topics on social media on Sunday."The consumers have the right to question the price of a product, but Li has no right to judge the consumers and lash out on people's spending power. What he said was outrageous," a Sina Weibo user said on Sunday.Around 1 am on Monday, Li published a statement on social media apologizing for his comments and making people disappointed.
I am sorry for letting people down. I've made some inappropriate comments that have made people uncomfortable, Li said in the statement.
He added that he started his career as a cosmetic sales assistant, so he understands people's struggles. He also vowed to learn to better control his emotions in the future.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 1 million fans had stopped following Li on Weibo, as his total number of fans dropped from 30.43 million to 29.27 million.
A customer service representative from domestic beauty brand Huaxizi, the brand involved in the dispute, said that the entire process had been recorded and there will be further investigation, according to media reports.
For the potential repercussions of this incident, a brand founder told Jiemian News that it hinges on the event's influence. If it escalates into a broader social issue, the brand will contemplate its future collaboration with Li.
"If it can be resolved swiftly," the founder said, "then we will maintain our partnership, contingent upon the market's reaction to such occurrences and the sales data."
Livestreaming e-commerce has blossomed in the country, bringing benefits to both merchants and consumers. And, the regulators have stepped up efforts to rectify wrongdoing through livestreaming.Editor: Zuo Zhuo
Reporter: Cui Jia
Source: Global Times, Chinadaily.com.cn
