According to Chinese media, the contract dispute between actress Cuc Tinh Y and her former management company - Siba Media - has shifted from a quiet match to a public battle.
The two sides continuously released evidence, made tough statements, exposed a series of hidden corners in the contracts and income of the entertainment industry.
The conflict broke out in June 2024, when it was Cuc Tinh Y's 30th birthday, Siba Media suddenly announced that it had completed the first phase of cooperation with the beauty born in 1994 and moved to the second phase of cooperation under a "supplementary agreement".
In response, Cuc Tinh Y immediately responded that her management contract with Siba ended on June 18, 2024 and was not renewed.
In July 2024, Cuc Tinh Y filed a lawsuit, requesting an appraisal of the signature for the "additional agreement" in 2018 that Siba mentioned, determined that this document was forged and she had never signed.
In 2025, in February and September, the court assigned the signature to be appraised twice, but could not confirm whether the signature of the supplementary agreement was Cuc Tinh Y's or not, weakening Siba's argument.
On December 16, Siba posted a signature appraisal report and stated that there was no case of the company forging Cuc Tinh Y's signature. However, the actress's lawyer clarified that the appraisal report that Siba published "not prepared by the appraisal agency under the legal authority of the court", so it was not accepted as evidence.
Meanwhile, although Cuc Tinh Y confirmed that her 10-year contract with Siba had ended, the company was determined that according to the "additional agreement" in 2018, the contract had been extended to 2033, meaning Cuc Tinh Y had signed a 20-year contract with Siba (from 2013 to 2033).
The conflict escalated when Siba Media recently revealed the income and treatment they provided to Cuc Tinh Y.
The company said it has invested more than 160 million yuan to build a roadmap for developing Cuc Tinh Y's film career, typically the historical drama project "Van Thuc Truyen" in 2018.
As of May 2024, Cuc Tinh Y has been paid a total of 139 million yuan (nearly 520 billion VND) in pre-tax income by the company. In order for the actress to meet the conditions for settling down as a talent in Shanghai, the company pays a fixed monthly salary of 250,000 yuan.
In addition, she was provided with a luxury apartment in the Shanghai Wharf area, a supercar to pick her up and drop off with a private driver, and many other expenses.
Information about the 20-year contract and the income of 139 million yuan has caused controversy. Fans believe that Siba's contract with Cuc Tinh Y is no different from a "slav contract", the artist was exploited and did not receive worthy compensation.
Some opinions pointed out that 139 million yuan is the remuneration for 10 years, so if calculating Cuc Tinh Y's annual income, this amount of money is not commensurate with the actress's dense workload and commercial value.
After announcing the termination of the contract with Siba and leaving the company, Cuc Tinh Y's commercial value has not decreased at all. She still signed S+ film projects such as Lai Luong, Nguyet Lan Lyc Ly, and currently has 4 films waiting to be broadcast. She also cooperated with luxury brands such as FRED, Louis Vuitton, Versace...
Fans also said that Cuc Tinh Y's self-sufficient half-year income is estimated to have exceeded his total income of 10 years in Siba.
But Siba has not stopped. In the latest statement, the company affirmed that 139 million yuan is legal income that has been paid in taxes according to regulations, "if any other form of income has not been declared and has not paid in taxes according to the law, our company is not liable".
This statement caused a stir in the online community, demanding that the tax authority investigate the tax payment issue of both Cuc Tinh Y and Siba Media.
