Michelle Chen (陳妍希) received a lot of flak for starring in Yu Zheng’s (于正) updated version of The Condor Heroes <神雕俠侶>. Though hailed as Taiwan’s goddess after shooting to fame with the 2011 film You Are the Apple of My Eye <那些年，我們一起追的女孩>, Michelle was attacked for being too plain to play the ethereal Little Dragon Girl, and her casting had caused a controversial social media uproar in China. Michelle was quickly dubbed by netizens as “the fattest Little Dragon Girl in history.” Yu Zheng’s new take on the wuxia classic was also slammed by netizens, and its idol casting in other key roles received unfavorable remarks. Michelle experienced dark emotions over the last few months while she was shooting for The Condor Heroes. Aware of netizens’ criticism in her casting, Michelle admitted that she felt extreme pressure. Stressed by the long filming hours and the need to control her weight, Michelle said her physical and emotional well-being were both compromised. “I once stood by the window and thought about jumping out,” Michelle said. Fortunately, Michelle quickly pulled herself together and left nothing else in her mind but positive thoughts. “It helped me forget the negativity,” Michelle revealed at a May 25 awareness event to promote positivity and happiness. The campaign urged others to smile more often to throw out negative emotions. At the event, Michelle revealed she lost seven pounds over the last few months. “To maintain my current figure, I try my best to eat food without any flavoring. [It's best to] keep things simple.” Creds: Oncc
