Zhao Wei's ex-husband sued for over $60 million in alleged casino loan debt

Hong Kong businesswoman Pan Yat-fung is pursuing legal action against Huang Youlong, the former husband of renowned actress Zhao Wei, over a substantial debt. Pan alleges that Huang Youlong owes her at least 60 million Australian dollars (over 1.1 trillion Vietnamese dong) related to casino loans she helped facilitate for him years ago through Sun City Group.

The core of the dispute centers on unpaid brokerage fees. Pan Yat-fung claims Huang Youlong failed to settle these fees, prompting her lawsuit to recover the principal and interest, estimated at around 100 million Hong Kong dollars. The case has seen Pan Yat-fung appear in court to provide testimony.

Huang Youlong's legal team is contesting the claim, arguing that the loan agreement was directly between Huang and Sun City Group, making the latter the appropriate party to demand repayment, not Pan Yat-fung as an individual. Furthermore, Huang's lawyers have raised doubts about the integrity of WeChat message screenshots submitted as evidence, suggesting they may have been tampered with.

Adding to the legal complexities, Huang Youlong's defense has questioned the authenticity of certain messages due to inconsistent font styles and an unusual spacing in one WeChat exchange from July 2017. However, Pan's side argues that these objections were not raised earlier and that the documents should be admitted as evidence. The court has also rejected Huang Youlong's request to participate remotely from France, citing a heart condition, as the submitted medical records were deemed insufficient to prove a serious health issue, requiring his physical presence at the next hearing.