zhangzhehan_super3 is the handle of an Instagram account used previously by Zhang Zhehan. The account was deactivated for 5 months following the events of 813 before being reactivated and privated in January 2022. The account activity and content posted post-reactivation along with the wider context of the Zhang Sanjian scam strongly suggest that Zhang Zhehan no longer controls the account. (See below: Account operators and suspect ownership.)
It was unprivated on April 2, 2022, and subsequently used to promote the Zhang Sanjian scam and damage Zhang Zhehan's reputation by: posting old or cobbled together images and deepfake content, dividing the fandom, promoting various Shenzhen businesses including the Teashop, advertising the EHz·Z brand and the Ranyi Music content, and tarnishing Zhang's character via captions and comments.
Zhangzhehan_super3 is one of two Instagram accounts recognized by fans as originally owned by Zhang Zhehan, the other being zhangzhehanfengzi. A third account mentioned in connection to Zhang was han__home, however it was never officially acknowledged as being operated by Zhang himself. There is evidence to suggest it was actually managed by Zhang Su, his assistant at the time of the account activity. (See below: Instagram usage pre-813.)
Controversy overview
As Zhang Zhehan's only remaining social media account after the deletion of his personal weibo, studio weibo, douyin and other Chinese platform accounts during the events of 813, the zhangzhehan_super3 Instagram was treated by fans as a place to leave comments outside of the firewall. At some point during August 16, 2022, four posts were deleted from the account. Its deactivation on August 16, 2022 was met with frustration and disheartenment,
Instagram in China
Instagram is banned by China's firewall and cannot be accessed from within China except by VPN. The use of unauthorized VPNs is illegal in China. Organizations who need to connect legally to international banned sites must apply to use a gateway provided by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. Any entity or individual cannot create or use other gateways.
Zhang Zhehan had stated in his January 1, 2022 interview with Li Xuezheng, in the presence of members of the media, the NPC, and the CPPCC that he intended to regain his reputation through the legal system and bring his defamers to justice. He did not express any intention of making a surreptitious comeback through illegal foreign social media and self-sabotaging his own legal case. The super3 IG account was reactivated less than two weeks after the release of this interview.
Account status and activity overview
This is an overview on Instagram activity and milestones on and post-813. For earlier activity please see Instagram usage pre-813. For a fully detailed timeline, see Timeline.
- August 13, 2021: an old post was edited.
- August 16, 2021: four old posts were deleted. Shortly after that, the account was deactivated.
- January 13, 2022: reactivated and immediately set to private.
- April 2: unprivated, posted the first ZSJ photos.
- May 4: posted the IG divorce video
- May 5: deactivated.
- May 12: reactivated, name updated to 张哲瀚.
- May 24: verified (acquired the blue check mark).
Over time, the account followed a number of other Instagram accounts that had little to no connection to Zhang's known interests, and also the Instagram accounts created for the EHz·Z brand and Ranyi Music. It has also changed the pfp multiple times.
Posts include:
- guitar videos (both headless and not)
- photos from the Forbidden City
- photos playing sports (basketball, boxing, pilates)
- photos from a biking trip
- white haired promo shots
- album promos
- possibly old, genuine private photos of Zhang Zhehan (some including Xiao Yu).
- deepfake "current" photos and videos of Zhang Xia and Xiao Yu
- photos with fake Lufei and Kele the cat
People who have appeared in the posts:
- Chen Liying
- Jason Curtis
- Mark
- Danny
- Teng Ziyue
- Zhang Su
- 洪彬 (deleted)
- Billy
- Lexus
Account operators and suspect ownership
It is assumed that the account has not been in Zhang Zhehan's control since 813:
- On the exact date of August 13, 2021, at 6:04 PM China Standard Time one old IG post was edited. It is unclear what exactly was changed as a verified version of the post pre-813 has not been found. Coincidentally, the post features Danny. It is unlikely that Zhang Zhehan himself would be editing a post from 2019 on the evening of 813.
- On August 16, 2021, prior to 6 PM China Standard Time, fans noticed that the number of posts dropped by four, from 127 to 123. Two out of the four posts contained photos from Zhang Zhehan's trip to Japan in January 2020 (not the one used in the smears). Two other posts focused on sports shoes. One of the photos matches a post on Virginia's Instagram.
- Just after that, some fans started receiving a "User not found" notification from Instagram. This is assumed to be the time that the account was deactivated.
Abner, Xie Yihua's son, revealed in August 2021 in a comment made by his Bilibili account that the phone number registered to his IG account does not belong to Zhang Zhehan.
High resolution versions of the Zhang Sanjian photos uploaded to the IG account in 2022 are regularly posted on Weibo by accounts verified to Xie Yihua's company 上海承嘉影视传媒有限公司.
Timeline
During and immediately post-813:
- four posts were removed on or around 813
- one post was edited on 813 at 6:04 PM Beijing time
- the account was deactivated
Main events after reactivation on January 13, 2022:
- May 4: IG divorce video
- Nov 26: ZSJ Shanghai Theatre Academy Sighting
Promoters
People who publicly promote the super3 IG and its Zhang Sanjian persona:
- 凌志 Lexus Ling
- 邓麟云 Peter Deng
- 滕子玥 Teng Ziyue
Instagram usage pre-813
- Zhanghehanfengzi was in use since July 6, 2016 until December 31, 2017. It contained a total of 64 posts.
- han__home was active since December 1, 2017 until April 15, 2018.
- Zhangzhehan_super3 first posted on February 7, 2019. It was allegedly confirmed as belonging to Zhang by his fanclub on February 10, 2019. It contained 127 posts until August 16, 2021, when four of those were deleted and the account was deactivated shortly thereafter.