Chinese actress Jing Tian fined $1.08 million for illegal advertising endorsement
景甜因违法广告代言行为被罚款464.22万元！
The market regulator bureau in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province, fined Chinese actress Jing Tian 7.22 million yuan ($1.08 million) as her endorsements of a product violated the Advertising Law.
Jing is the brand ambassador of Guangzhou-registered Infinite Free whose main product is fruit and vegetable pressed candy. Jing in the ads claimed the product can prevent absorption of sugar, oil and fat without verifying its functions, according to a release from the State Administration for Market Regulation on Saturday.
China’s Advertising Law stipulates that ordinary food is not allowed to be advocated for having therapeutic functions.
Jing’s income of 2.58 million yuan from the endorsement was confiscated and she was fined an additional 4.64 million yuan, totaling 7.22 million yuan. The market regulator in Guangzhou also conducted an investigation on the company, according to the release.
Soon after the punishment was announced, Jing apologized on Sina Weibo for not carefully checking commercial contracts and hurting consumers who trust in the product. Jing said she acknowledges her mistakes and had paid the fines, vowing to be responsible for consumers and not to endorse relevant products in the future.
The pressed candy has been pulled off shelves on major e-commerce platforms like Taobao and JD.com. Snapshots suggested the candy was sold at roughly 100 yuan each box of 28 grams.
2021年底，市场监管总局广告监测发现演员景甜为广州无限畅健康科技有限公司相关商品的广告代言涉嫌违反广告法有关规定，按工作流程将有关线索派发广东省广州市市场监管部门依法核查处理。
广州市市场监管局随即组织力量对相关线索进行核查，并由广州市天河区市场监管局立案调查。经查明，广州无限畅健康科技有限公司选用景甜为其生产经营的“果蔬类”食品作广告代言，相关“果蔬类”食品为普通食品，该公司无有效证据证实其具有“阻止油脂和糖分吸收”功效。景甜在应知法律法规规定普通食品依法不得进行治疗、保健等功效宣传，且未经有效途径对代言商品有关功效进行核实的情况下，仍以自身名义和形象在广告中宣称代言商品具有“阻止油脂和糖分吸收”功效，其行为已违反广告法有关规定。景甜上述广告代言违法所得共计257.9万元。广州市天河区市场监管局依据《中华人民共和国广告法》第六十一条的规定，对景甜作出没收违法所得、罚款464.22万元（罚没金额合计722.12万元）的行政处罚决定。
对于广州无限畅健康科技有限公司相关违法行为，广州市市场监管部门已按照有关法律规定处理。
