Cryptocurrency entrepreneur and TRON founder Justin Sun Yuchen has ignited a firestorm on Chinese social media after claiming an artificial intelligence chatbot advised him to end his relationship with prominent Chinese actress Jing Tian over a US$50 million financial dispute and surrogacy plans.
In a sprawling social media post that he noted took over ten hours to write, Sun alleged the couple had reached the stage of discussing marriage. The crypto billionaire stated he had already paid a 30 million yuan dowry to Jing's parents and that the pair had agreed to have a child via surrogacy.
However, Sun alleged that shortly before Jing was scheduled to undergo an egg retrieval procedure, the actress unexpectedly demanded an additional US$50 million.
Faced with the ultimatum, Sun said he consulted Anthropic’s AI chatbot Claude for guidance. Acting on the AI's recommendation, Sun rejected the financial demand, effectively ending the relationship.
Jing forcefully pushed back against the allegations on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo on Friday morning, incorporating a tone of self-deprecation regarding her personal choices.
"I have not in the past, do not now, and will not in the future ever sell my love for money, let alone my soul," Jing wrote to her millions of followers. "I still believe in love, my judgment in men is still poor, and I am still lacking in wisdom. But I believe in the law, I believe in kindness, and I believe there will ultimately be justice and fairness. Time will prove everything."
The highly unusual public airing of the romance has dominated internet searches in China. Multiple related search terms occupied the top trending spots on Weibo, including hashtags such as "Jing Tian responds" and "Justin Sun wrote a long post for over ten hours."
Public reaction has been heavily polarized. While some users mocked the "meddling" role of a chatbot in ending a high-profile romance, others harshly criticized Sun for publicly disclosing intimate details regarding the couple's medical procedures, finances, and private plans, noting that Jing did not appear to have fundamentally betrayed the relationship. Other netizens joked that given Sun's vast crypto wealth, US$50 million should not have been a sticking point.
In an exclusive interview with The Standard’s sister publication Sing Tao Headline, Sun admitted the dispute has taken an emotional toll and expressed lingering doubts about relying on technology for complex personal crises.
"I am still not sure if the AI's judgment was correct, nor am I certain if the decision I made at the time was right or wrong," Sun said. He noted that his own thoughts were not perfectly aligned with the chatbot's advice, acknowledging that the divergence caused him significant "internal friction."
Sun, who has strictly used his social media presence over the past 14 years to promote his corporate ventures, said his management team had expressed concerns that the deeply personal post could negatively impact public perception of his companies. However, Sun maintained that the post was a necessary release of his authentic feelings, adding that he hopes the controversy will not disrupt his ongoing business projects.
He stated he has no plans to issue further public clarifications, noting the ordeal has already consumed too much of his energy, and will leave the ultimate resolution to his legal team and the courts.
