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After years of public accusations and legal battles, a Beijing court has ruled in favor of Li Yang, the founder of China’s once-famous “Crazy English” learning program, in a defamation lawsuit against his American ex-wife, Kim (Chinese name: Li Jin).
According to Li and his lawyer Zhou Zhaocheng, the Beijing Internet Court issued a first-instance judgment on September 22, ordering Kim to issue a 72-hour public apology on her verified Weibo account “Lina Hua’s Mom” and to pay 20,000 yuan (about USD 2,700) in compensation for emotional damages. Li said on September 28 that he was “very pleased” with the outcome, calling it a legal restoration of his reputation. Kim has not publicly responded to the ruling.
Li and Kim’s conflict dates back more than a decade. In 2011, Kim shocked the public by posting photos and accounts online accusing Li of domestic violence. In 2013, Beijing’s Chaoyang District Court confirmed Li’s abuse, granted Kim a divorce, and awarded her custody of their three daughters. Li was also ordered to pay child support, emotional damages, and property compensation totaling over 12 million yuan.
However, tensions reignited in August 2021, when Kim accused Li again - this time of physically abusing their daughter after she returned to live with him in China. Kim shared her claims on Weibo, saying she possessed messages in which Li admitted to the abuse and that her daughter had reported the incident to police.
Li later sued Kim for online defamation, with the Beijing Internet Court formally accepting the case at the end of 2021. Court records show Kim did not appear at any of the hearings.
The court found that Kim’s social media posts - accusing Li of “brutally beating our daughters,” “attacking them,” and calling him “a criminal” - lacked factual evidence and harmed Li’s social reputation.
Kim had submitted screenshots showing a user with Li’s photo admitting to violence, but Li denied any link to the account. Because Kim failed to appear in court to verify the materials, judges ruled there was no proof that the account belonged to Li.
The court reviewed a 27-second video clip showing an argument between Li and one of his daughters. While authentic, it depicted a minor altercation inconsistent with Kim’s description of “brutal” violence. As such, the court concluded that Kim’s statements exaggerated the incident and amounted to defamation.
Despite ruling in Li’s favor, the court also noted that his “disciplinary behavior” toward his daughter violated China’s Law on the Protection of Minors, stating that his actions were “not conducive to the child’s physical or mental health.” The court said his parenting should be “subject to social criticism,” though that did not excuse Kim’s defamatory remarks.
Li’s lawyer said he accepted the verdict and would not appeal. As the ruling is not yet final, compensation has not been paid, and Kim could still file an appeal. If she fails to comply after the judgment takes effect, Li’s team plans to seek compulsory enforcement.
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