Overseasidol.com — On November 9, Bai Baihe’s studio issued an official statement addressing the ongoing controversy surrounding the actress’s absence from the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) closing ceremony.
The studio shared a detailed timeline of communications with event organizers and questioned why the production team acted “as if they didn’t know” about her expected attendance.
According to the statement, Bai Baihe’s manager asked on November 1 whether the actress would be required to stay for the closing event.
On November 3 at 7:06 p.m., they were informed that Bai Baihe did not win an award and could return to China the next day.
However, just one hour later, at 8:06 p.m., they learned that the film had actually won Best Director and Best Actor awards.
Despite congratulating the team and waiting for further instructions, Bai Baihe’s side received another message at 8:20 p.m. confirming that she was still allowed to leave.
Shortly afterward, Bai Baihe posted on Weibo expressing her disappointment with the situation.
The studio pointed out that other teams were asked to stay even after preparing to board flights home, while Bai Baihe’s team was told otherwise.
They drew a comparison to the Busan International Film Festival, where the actress had previously left early due to allergies, yet the director and producer personally contacted her to attend the closing ceremony after the film won Best Picture.
Bai Baihe’s studio concluded by saying they hoped the matter could be resolved gracefully and respectfully, urging all parties to maintain professionalism in future collaborations.
