Ruan Lingyu’s Tabloid-Driven Tragedy

Chinese silent film actress Ruan Lingyu died by suicide in Shanghai in 1935 at age 24, after gossip tabloids aggressively exposed and judged her private life. Her death shocked China’s film world, and her funeral drew a massive procession reportedly stretching 3 miles long. The public grief became even darker when three women were reported to have died by suicide during the event.

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