李佳琦79元卖眉笔争议再起余波，“花西子”诉自媒体商业诋毁案二审开庭

Core Viewpoint - The controversy surrounding the Chinese cosmetics brand "Hua Xizi" escalated after a live-streaming incident involving popular host Li Jiaqi, leading to a lawsuit against a self-media entity for alleged commercial defamation [1][6]. Group 1: Incident Overview - On September 10, 2023, Li Jiaqi commented on the pricing of Hua Xizi's eyebrow pencil during a live stream, which sparked public outrage and trending topics online [2][4]. - Following the incident, Hua Xizi's parent company, Hangzhou Yige Cosmetics Co., Ltd., issued a public relations letter titled "A Letter" on September 19, 2023 [4][5]. - A self-media article criticized the PR letter, claiming it resembled a "primary school essay" and highlighted the departure of several PR staff members [4][5]. Group 2: Legal Proceedings - On December 9, 2024, Hua Xizi filed a lawsuit against the self-media entity for commercial defamation, seeking a total of 580,000 yuan in damages [1][6]. - The first-instance court ruled on June 27, 2025, ordering the self-media's sole shareholder, Zhao, to pay 300,000 yuan in damages and 20,000 yuan in reasonable expenses [7]. - Zhao appealed the decision, and the second-instance hearing took place on October 17, 2025, with new evidence submitted by Zhao's legal team [8][10]. Group 3: Court Findings - The court found that the self-media's article contained defamatory statements that harmed Hua Xizi's brand reputation, as it misrepresented the number of PR staff departures [7][8]. - The court noted that Zhao failed to verify the information provided by interviewees, which contributed to the misleading nature of the article [8][14]. - The court emphasized that commercial defamation requires proof of false information dissemination that damages commercial reputation, while Zhao argued for a reclassification of the case as a defamation of character [12][14]. Group 4: Implications for the Industry - The case highlights the challenges of balancing public commentary and commercial reputation in the digital age, particularly for brands in competitive industries like cosmetics [13][14]. - Legal experts suggest that self-media entities must exercise due diligence in verifying information to avoid potential legal repercussions related to defamation [14].