A young woman who wanted to share her postgraduate university acceptance with her seriously ill grandfather became the target of a relentless online hate campaign after strangers took issue with her pink hair. Zheng Linghua's photographs captured what should have been a precious family memory: a proud granddaughter showing her grandfather the news of her academic achievement.
Instead, the images spread across Chinese social media, where users made degrading comments about her appearance and spread false rumours about her relationship with the elderly man. The story has resurfaced online, renewing conversations about cyberbullying and the damage caused by strangers who turn someone's personal milestone into a public spectacle. Zheng died by suicide on 23 January 2023, aged 23, after months of online abuse.
Pink Hair Triggered a Wave of Online Abuse
Zheng, from Zhejiang province in eastern China, shared the photographs on 13 July 2022, after receiving news that she had secured a place at East China Normal University to study music education at postgraduate level.
Her grandfather had been one of the most important figures in her life. After her mother died when she was a baby, he helped raise her, supported her education and encouraged her ambitions. He had also helped pay for her music lessons and a piano when she was younger.
At the time of the photographs, he was seriously ill and bedridden. Zheng wanted him to share in the achievement, which she had worked towards for years.
But her pink hair quickly became a target. According to Chinese media reports, online users called her a 'nightclub girl', an 'evil spirit' and other insulting names. Some questioned whether someone with brightly coloured hair should be allowed to become a teacher.
Others went further, making false suggestions that Zheng and her grandfather were a couple. Her family photographs were also reportedly copied and circulated by accounts that attached misleading captions to them, turning a personal celebration into material for online abuse.
Zheng Tried To Take Legal Action Against Her Trolls
The harassment was not limited to unpleasant comments. Zheng also faced the unauthorised use of her photographs and false stories about her academic background.
In July 2022, she told Chinese media that she intended to pursue legal action against those responsible. She worked with a lawyer to identify abusive accounts, preserve evidence and challenge posts that she believed damaged her reputation.
The process proved difficult. Identifying anonymous users and collecting evidence across different platforms placed a considerable burden on her. A report published by Chinese media outlet The Paper said she had gathered extensive evidence of insulting content, including screenshots and videos, as she tried to hold those responsible accountable.
Her fight also attracted support from people who recognised the importance of the relationship she had shared with her grandfather. However, the abuse continued, including comments that targeted the elderly man and questioned Zheng's motives for sharing their photographs.
Online Harassment Took a Heavy Toll on Her Mental Health
The prolonged attacks affected Zheng's ability to concentrate on her studies and her everyday life. In interviews reported by Chinese media, she described struggling with insomnia and a loss of appetite after the online abuse began.
She also sought professional help. According to a report carried by China's state broadcaster CCTV, she was later admitted to hospital for treatment for depression and had to step away from her studies.
Her friends and former university associates remembered her as someone who had worked hard to pursue her ambitions. She had hoped to become a primary school music teacher after completing her postgraduate studies.
Zheng's death was announced by a friend on social media in February 2023. She had died on 23 January, following months of reported struggles with depression and online harassment.
Her story prompted widespread grief and anger across Chinese social media. While it would be wrong to reduce a person's death to one factor, reports documented the sustained abuse she faced and the serious impact it had on her well-being.
Women Dyed Their Hair Pink in Her Memory
In the weeks after Zheng's death, her story inspired a show of solidarity. Ahead of International Women's Day on 8 March 2023, women in China began sharing photographs of themselves with pink hair to protest against cyberbullying and challenge the stigma attached to her appearance.
The movement turned the colour used to ridicule Zheng into a symbol of support. Participants argued that a woman's hairstyle should not determine her character, professional ability or worth.
The gesture also highlighted the wider problem of online abuse, particularly when people feel entitled to judge a stranger's appearance and personal relationships without knowing the circumstances.
Resurfaced Story Prompts Fresh Debate About Cyberbullying
The story has recently attracted renewed attention on Reddit, where users questioned why a young woman should have faced such hostility over a hairstyle. One commenter pointed out that experimenting with colourful hair is hardly unusual, asking whether people had not once wished to try blue, red, orange or purple hair themselves. Another said they had worn pink hair and reflected that people could be needlessly cruel.
Others were particularly disturbed by the reported attempts to interfere with Zheng's education and the false rumours involving her grandfather. Several commenters also criticised the way online users can dismiss their own contribution to a pile-on by insisting that one comment cannot make a difference.
These reactions are personal opinions, rather than independently verified details of Zheng's case. But they underline why her story continues to resonate.
What began as a granddaughter sharing an important university milestone with someone who had supported her throughout her life became a painful example of how online cruelty can overwhelm a person's private world. Zheng's pink hair was never a measure of her character. It was simply part of a moment she wanted to remember with her grandfather.
