Chinese director and actor Jia Ling, known for her performances during China’s annual Spring Festival Gala, has gone viral on social media for her weight loss, as featured in the music video
Going viral: Jia’s music video for the “YOLO” OST, titled “There is Still Time for Everything,” was shared by the 41-year-old entertainer on Weibo on Sunday, since collecting over 24 million views. A repost of the video on YouTube has also gone viral with more than 403,000 views as of this writing.
“YOLO,” which premiered during the Spring Festival on Feb. 10, follows Le Ying (played by Jia), a plus-sized unemployed woman whose life changes after meeting a boxing coach.
What’s in the video: The music video starts off with clips of Jia training hard in the gym. The video then cuts to what she looks like now, a slimmed-down version of her previous self while wearing a yellow gown. Viewers also get to see a side-by-side of her past and present look singing together.
“This is the first song I’ve written, and it says what I ‘ve always wanted to say: there is still time, remember to love yourself,” Jia wrote in her Weibo post for the music video.
What she’s saying: In an earlier Weibo post, Jia revealed that she had to gain 20 kilograms (44 pounds) before losing 50 kilograms (110 pounds) within a year during the filming of her movie.
Sharing her method, Jia reportedly said in previous interviews that she lost around 4 to 5 kilograms (8.8 to 11 pounds) every month while following a healthy diet. She also noted that “YOLO” is not about weight loss but about sending the message of loving oneself.
Making history: Jia, whom Variety described in a 2021 report as the world’s highest-grossing female director, made her directorial debut in the Chinese comedy film “Hi, Mom,” which premiered that year. Her film reportedly grossed over 5.41 billion yuan ($751 million).
Meanwhile, “YOLO” made 2.8 billion yuan ($390 million) in China.
