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According to Finance Sinathe 44-year-old has found new success in the beauty business, with her brand Fan Beauty Diary ranking among the top 100 hottest beauty labels in China. A financial report released in July showed the company earned 1.45 billion yuan (US$201.9 million) last year. While far below the top brand’s 8.6 billion yuan in revenue, industry experts call it an impressive achievement for a seven-year-old company, labeling Fan Beauty Diary a “dark horse” in the competitive beauty market.

Today, Fan is viewed more as a founder and entrepreneur than as an actress. A source told Tech that although she collaborates with livestream sales hosts to market her products, the brand’s success largely stems from her personal reputation.

Her ambitions extend beyond China. Since last year, she has expanded distribution to Southeast Asian e-commerce platforms and increased promotional efforts on TikTok. Still, observers say overseas sales in the past year have been less than promising.

Fan launched Fan Beauty Diary in 2018—the same year she was investigated and fined for tax evasion. She paid 883 million yuan to avoid criminal prosecution. Before the scandal, On reported, she “ruled the roost” in Chinese entertainment, dominating international red carpets, endorsing luxury brands, and self-financing films in which she also starred.

The scandal, she has acknowledged, sent her “from the peak to the abyss.” Speaking at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival, Fan said that after her fall, she learned to be patient and persistent, climbing back gradually rather than giving up.

For the past seven years, she has been barred from most entertainment activities in China, absent from domestic film events and productions. While she has enjoyed business success, she admits it is painful to be unable to act—her lifelong passion. She remains committed to acting and hopes to find a role that fits this new chapter of her life.

Seeking opportunities abroad, Fan starred in the 2023 South Korean production “Green Night” and last year filmed the Malaysian movie “Mother Bhumi.” She has also reportedly purchased the rights to several scripts and plans to move into production work.

On social media, Fan has written about taking control of her own life.

“For everyone, the only person you can rely on for a lifetime is yourself. I believe that, and I live that way,” she wrote. “If you expect others to bring you happiness, you’ll be passive your whole life. I’d rather work hard and endure hardship to keep control in my hands. I often tell myself: if you rely on yourself, fate won’t treat you badly.”

Fan describes her current stage as difficult but sees it as a time for calm reflection on how she wants to live the rest of her life. She likens herself to someone at a crossroads, unsure which way to go, but determined to embrace the journey—even if it leads to loss or regret.

In a video message to fans, she expressed gratitude to those who supported her after her fall.

“After going through difficulties and pain beyond what people can imagine, I am still the Fan Bingbing everyone knew before,” she said. “I will face life as strongly, gently, and kindly as possible.”

Born in Shandong province, Fan began acting in 1996 and rose to fame as Jinsuo in the 1998 drama “My Fair Princess.”

For many years, she was China’s highest-paid actress. A 2018 21st Century Business Herald report estimated her assets at more than 3 billion yuan , with income from acting, endorsements, and business ventures.

She was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2017, but the tax scandal tarnished her public image.