China judge asks woman to apologise for exposing husband's affair, she uses apology to expose him even more

A woman in Henan, China, has gone viral after being ordered by a court to apologise online for 15 consecutive days to her husband, whom she had previously exposed online as having a long-term affair with his colleague.

The woman, surnamed Niu, began posting daily “apology” videos on Douyin after a judge ruled that she had defamed her husband by publicly naming him and sharing personal details about his alleged infidelity.

Five-year affair and defamation ruling

Niu accused her husband, surnamed Gao, of maintaining a five-year extramarital relationship with a married female colleague, according to Chinese media.

From around September 2025, she posted the couple’s names, workplaces and spending records on social media, saying it was a “last resort” to expose the truth and warn others.

Gao later sued her for defamation.

The court ruled that while extramarital affairs fall within the realm of morality, Niu had gone beyond legitimate rights protection by publishing others’ personal information and unverified accusations online, thereby infringing their right to reputation.

She was ordered to delete the infringing posts and issue a public apology approved by the court, keeping it online for at least 15 days.

Apology videos go viral

As the judgment did not specify how the apology should be delivered, Niu began posting daily apology videos on her Douyin account, “Najiechongsheng”, from mid-January.

In her first video posted on Jan. 12, titled “I admit my mistake and obey the judgment", she calmly apologised.

The clip drew hundreds of thousands of likes and widespread sympathy online.

In later videos, her apologies became more detailed and, at times, openly sarcastic.

She attached excerpts from the court verdict, screenshots of her past posts and alleged transaction records showing luxury purchases for the other woman, reported Guangming Daily.

Phrases such as “meeting both material and physical needs of the employee” and “true love” were widely interpreted by viewers as thinly veiled accusations.

Her subsequent videos continued to feature pointed, sarcastic remarks, using phrases such as “good secretary” and “competent” in her commentary.

@vip51888❼河南一女子因曝光丈夫婚内出轨，被判连续15天向丈夫公开道歉！ 👉网友评论：这哪儿是道歉十五天啊，这是鞭尸15天！法律是有人情味的，这姐们领悟到了♬ 原声 - Sick Man

Each of Niu’s videos has currently received more than 300,000 likes, her follower count sits at over half a million, and she has even begun inserting e-commerce promotions into her content.

She has also created a public group chat labelled "Welcome like-minded friends”.

Netizens praise judge and “supervise” her

Many online viewers jokingly said they were “supervising” her compliance with the court order, with most voicing support for Niu as they believe her “adherence to the judgment” was a clever way to counterattack and defend her rights.

Some urged her to reveal more details, while others, including self-claimed lawyers, reminded her to pin each video for the full 15 days to avoid breaching the ruling.

The judge who issued the decision was also praised by some netizens as a “powerhouse with legal knowledge” for crafting a verdict that allowed the defendant to “retaliate within legal boundaries”, as reported by The Standard.

Employer suspends husband

As the controversy grew, Gao’s employer, Gengcun Mine, a subsidiary of Henan Dayou Energy, issued a statement on Jan. 17 saying that Gao had been given Party disciplinary punishment on Dec. 5, 2025, suspended from duty and placed under investigation, according to Jimu News.

The company said it formed a special investigative task force and would handle the matter in accordance with regulations once the investigation is complete.

The saga has triggered heated debate across Chinese social media.

Many netizens sympathise with Niu and see her actions as a clever way to comply with the court while defending herself.

Others argue whether Niu’s sarcastic apologies constitute a secondary act of defamation against her husband.

Top images via najiechongsheng/Douyin, heiliao0/X