Ugly On The Inside – The Chinese Man Who Divorced His Wife

In 2012, Chinese husband Jian Feng filed for divorce on account of his wife’s ‘deceptive’ plastic surgery. But who’s really the ugliest spouse?

Jian Feng, Mrs. Feng and their ‘ugly’ baby

The infamous story of Jian Feng and his wife went viral in 2012. In a nutshell, Feng and his wife were a happily married couple until the birth of the couple’s first child. Upon seeing his newborn daughter, he was – according to news reports – ‘horrified’ at her appearance, which in his opinion, bore no resemblance to his own – nor his wife’s. Accusations of an affair followed and Feng began divorce proceedings, which uncovered a surprising fact: his wife had undergone approximately $93,000 worth of plastic surgery in South Korea prior to their marriage. Not one to be deterred, Feng pushed forward with divorce proceedings, throwing in a $120,000 lawsuit on account of her ‘deception’ and going on to win his case.

The ‘ugly baby’ case sparked a raging online debate. Some commentators proposed that the story might be a viral hoax, or part of an infamous PR campaign by a Taiwanese plastic surgery clinic. Regardless of whether the story of Feng and his estranged young family is true or not, the story has acted to highlight some important ethical issues surrounding plastic surgery and the importance of looks in our modern society.

Over the past 10 years, craniofacial and maxillofacial surgical procedures have become very popular. These bone cutting surgeries are capable of rendering very dramatic changes, and as the former Mrs. Feng’s photos show, it’s evident that she has had chin and possible jaw advancement, in addition to double eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty and fat transfer to correct the asymmetry of her submalar and mandibular regions. Her transformation was clearly a positive one, but in her husband’s opinion, her new look was tantamount to fraud, given that her ‘beauty’ was likely the first thing that caught his attention prior to their marriage.

Jian Feng Surgery Makeover

A proposed surgery makeover for Jian Feng

When one looks at Jian Feng, it is obvious that he has not undergone any type of surgical procedure. We could be critical and point out the fact that he has a receding hairline and bimaxilliary protrusion. He appears to be somewhat older than his ex-wife, and likely held traditional views about the morality of plastic surgery. However, it doesn’t sound like Feng was a good husband; his readiness to divorce her is a clear indication that he was basing his love for her – and by extension, his child – on appearances alone. It could be argued that his wife was more deceived than Feng; she did not know she hadn’t married a good hearted man who would stand by her ‘in sickness and in health’.

What is most ironic, however, is the strong resemblance of Jian Feng’s daughter… to Jian Feng. Not to mention that the baby he so cruelly rejected is by no means ‘ugly’. The majority of new parents see children as blessings to be treasured and cared for, whether they’re lucky enough to have a healthy child, or one with a disability or other challenges. Rejecting a baby on account of its ‘looks’ is almost unheard of in our modern society. Hopefully, Feng’s wife and daughter will be happier without him.

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