Source: OT-Team(G), 九派新闻、百姓关注、现代快报、红星新闻、澎湃新闻
Years after Kim, the ex-wife of "Crazy English" founder Li Yang, accused him online of domestic violence against their daughter, a Chinese court has ruled in Li's favor in a defamation case.
Li told reporters on September 28 that he was "very pleased" with the outcome, saying the ruling had "restored his innocence through legal means." Journalists also reached out to Kim for comment but received no response by the time of publication.
A Decade-Long Dispute
The controversy surrounding Li Yang's alleged domestic violence has persisted for more than a decade. In 2011, Kim publicly accused Li of physically abusing her on social media. Two years later, on February 3, 2013, a court confirmed Li's domestic violence against Kim, granted the couple a divorce, and awarded custody of their three daughters to Kim.
In January 2020, Kim sent two of their daughters back to China to live with Li. Then, in August 2021, she once again accused Li—this time on Weibo—of abusing their daughter.
In February 2022, Kim wrote on social media that Li and others had sued her for online defamation, and that the Beijing Internet Court had formally accepted the case at the end of 2021. She told reporters at the time that Li had admitted through text messages to hitting his daughter, and that her daughter had described the abuse to the police. Kim added that she had "moved on," focusing on raising her daughters while working as a teacher.
Court records show that Kim, whose Chinese name is Li Jin, did not appear in court during the proceedings.
Court: Kim's Allegations Constituted Defamation
The Beijing Internet Court examined whether Kim's statements that Li had physically assaulted his daughters constituted an infringement of his right to reputation.
The court held that Kim failed to provide sufficient evidence to support her claims. In the Weibo post in question, Kim included screenshots allegedly showing a user with Li's photo admitting to hitting his children. However, Li denied being part of any such online group, stating that the account was not his. Since Kim did not appear in court to verify the screenshots' origin, the court concluded that there was no proof Li had engaged in the behavior described.
The post also contained a 27-second audio and video clip. Although Kim did not verify its source, the court found it to be authentic, as it matched footage submitted by Li himself. The court confirmed that the clip showed a verbal and physical altercation between Li and his daughter during a dispute over education—but noted that the incident did not match the severity described in Kim's post.
Kim's statements—such as accusing Li of "brutally beating our daughters," "attacking them," calling him "a criminal," and describing him as "a 1.8-meter man beating 12- and 15-year-old girls"—were found to deviate from verified facts and to damage Li's social reputation, constituting defamation.
Court Also Criticizes Li's Parenting
The court further noted that while Kim's accusations were exaggerated, Li's disciplinary methods violated the Law on the Protection of Minors, as they were "not conducive to the children's physical and mental health." The court said his actions should be criticized, though they did not justify Kim's defamatory statements.
Judgment and Next Steps
The court ordered Kim to publish a 72-hour public apology via her verified Weibo account "Lina Hua's Mom" and to compensate Li with 20,000 yuan in moral damages.
Attorney Zhou Zhaocheng said Li accepted the ruling and would not appeal. It remains unclear whether Kim will file an appeal. As the first-instance judgment has not yet taken effect, Li has not received any compensation. If the ruling becomes effective and Kim fails to comply, Li's team plans to apply for compulsory enforcement.
Reporters have again attempted to contact Kim for comment on the case but have received no response so far.
Supplementary note
Previously, on February 3, 2013, a Chaoyang District court in Beijing granted Kim — then Li Yang's U.S. — based wife — a divorce after a yearandahalf dispute and four hearings, finding that she had been subjected to domestic violence. The court awarded custody of the three daughters to Kim, ordered Li to pay RMB 100,000 per daughter per year until they turn 18, plus RMB 50,000 for emotional damages and RMB 12 million in property compensation. Judges read a 15-page verdict as Kim, in white, wept and removed her wedding ring; Li did not appear in person. The court also issued what was reported as Beijing's first personal protection order, banning Li from assaulting or threatening Kim for three months and warning of detention, fines or criminal liability for violations. At the time, media coverage quoted Li admitting in an interview that he had physically assaulted Kim during a loss of control.
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