Wendi wins Chinese bloggers’ hearts, fending Murdoch
July 20th, 2011 - 7:55 pm ICT by IANSLondon, July 20 (IANS) Media baron Rupert Murdoch’s wife Wendi Deng has won many admirers among Chinese netizens after she slapped down the man who was throwing foam pie at her husband while facing British MPs over the phone-hacking scandal Tuesday.
Bloggers have praised Wendi for boosting the image of Chinese wives by slapping down the attacker.
She has been hailed as a new national role model in China as images of her leaping to the defence of Rupert Murdoch sizzle across internet, the Guardian reported.
Wendi’s agile slapdown of the British comedian was the top story on Sina and other leading new portals.
Commentators celebrated her vitality, while state news agencies tried to widen the discomfort of the press baron to the entire western media.
Wendi was praised as a “tiger woman” and “Charlie’s Angel”.
A post on the Weibo microblog by Toubenxingfu111 read “The image of Chinese women just got a lift”.
“This adds value to the image of Chinese wives,” said another under the name Jihua.
“They have previously proved their ability to cook and run a business. Now they can add bodyguard.”
Wendi was born in 1968 in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province.
Wendi joined Star TV, part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, as an intern in 1996. Reports on how she met Murdoch vary. One version has it that they were introduced at a party in 1998; another that she worked as his interpreter in Shanghai and Beijing. Rupert divorced his wife, Anna, a year later.
Wendi translates for her husband and acts as an intermediary or representative for many of his businesses on the Chinese mainland.
The couple were reported to have bought a house in Beijing in 2004 for 30m yuan (2.9 mn pounds or $4.6 mn).
Though Wendi is admired for her looks, her language skills and a spectacular social climb from a modest home, she is sometimes derided as a family wrecker and gold-digger.
That view is being revised. “I never used to like Wendi because I thought she was too materialistic, but I like her now,” said a blogger under the name Jixunli.
- Murdoch's wife becomes internet sensation - Jul 20, 2011
- Wendi Deng jumps to Rupert's defense when he was attacked with a foam pie - Jul 20, 2011
- Man attacks Rupert Murdoch during hearing - Jul 20, 2011
- Comedian who attacked Murdoch jailed for six weeks - Aug 03, 2011
- Murdoch attacked during British parliamentary hearing (Lead) - Jul 19, 2011
- Rebekah Brooks released on bail - Jul 18, 2011
- News International CEO Rebekah Brooks quits (Lead) - Jul 15, 2011
- British MPs to get beefed up security after foam-fiasco - Oct 18, 2011
- Fake account of Murdoch's wife Wendi Deng fools Twitter - Jan 04, 2012
- Rebekah Brooks arrested? - Jul 17, 2011
- Rebekah Brooks resigns - Jul 15, 2011
- London police accused of bungling phone-hacking probe - Jul 20, 2011
- James Murdoch resigns as News International chairman - Feb 29, 2012
- James Murdoch quits boards of Sun, Times - Nov 23, 2011
- 'Humbled' Murdoch denies responsibility for phone hacking (Lead) - Jul 20, 2011
Tags: bodyguard, british comedian, british mps, chinese mainland, chinese women, gold digger, jiangsu province, language skills, national role model, netizens, news agencies, news corporation, phone hacking, press baron, rupert murdoch, sina, star tv, tiger woman, wendi deng, wrecker