Fans ambush actor after storming business class on flight

Daily Telegraph

11-07-2025

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This is the dramatic moment airline staff were forced to wrestle with a mob of crazed fans who tried to storm business class mid-flight in an attempt to snap a photo with Chinese star Tian Xu Ning.
The chaos erupted on board Xiamen Airlines flight MF8330 from Changsha to Fuzhou on July 8, when a group of passengers crowded around the curtain separating economy from business class.
Footage from the incident shows three frantic flight attendants forming a barrier and desperately pulling the drapes shut as fans attempted to push through. (Watch in the video player above).
Flight attendants desperately try to block off business class. Picture: Viral Press
Fans eventually gain entry and crowd around the actor. Picture: Viral Press
Cabin crew could be heard pleading with passengers to sit down, warning them they were about to land.
'Don't squeeze forward, the plane hasn't stopped yet,' one flight attendant said.
A witness told local media that the star – who was seated in 11L – remained silent throughout the ordeal.
The 27-year-old rose to fame earlier this year after a breakout role in hit Chinese drama Revenged Love.
In a separate encounter, he was reportedly harassed by fans during another flight, some of whom accused him of secretly having a girlfriend and a child.
Witnesses on the flight overhead fans telling him: 'Tell your girlfriend to stop appearing in the public', 'Change to someone else. Break up with her', and 'Is the kid really yours?'.
His management has denied these claims, urging fans to 'relax.'
'Relax, Tian Xu Ning is unmarried and childless,' they said.
'In no way, shape or form is this acceptable behaviour from fans. We have been asking fans to do better, but it's getting worse. Mobbing Tian Xu Ning at the airport. Let the boy breathe, please.'
Fans could face warnings, fines or even detention citing public order disturbance. Picture: Viral Press
Fans race to get into business class. Picture: Viral Press
The incidents have sparked widespread backlash on Chinese social media, with fans weighing in to slam the 'heartbreaking' behaviour.
'This is heartbreaking to see Tian Xu Ning go through this. It crosses all boundaries, and it's unfair to the actors who just want to do their jobs. I hope his team can take strong legal action, and maybe it's time for the industry to push for better protections against these invasions. Fans should support, not harass,' one wrote.
'Seriously?! This is so crazy! Why can't they give him space,' another said.
Tian Xu Ning has become an overnight sensation in China. Picture: Supplied
Legal experts have also weighed in, warning that such actions could have serious consequences.
'Obstructing the crew and blocking the cabin passage can be considered disrupting public order under China's regulations on public security administration punishments,' Yang Mei, deputy director of Hunan Zhongyi law firm, said.
'Fans could face warnings and fines up to 200 CNY ($42 AUD), or detention of five to 10 days in serious cases.
'If their actions endanger flight safety, criminal charges may also apply. Airlines can also blacklist disruptive passengers and restrict future travel.'
Originally published as Fans ambush actor after storming business class on flight