On Monday, September 14, 2026, the New York Post reported that crypto billionaire Justin Sun is suing to reclaim $4.5 million he paid to the family of Chinese actress Jing Tian.
Sun claims the payment was part of his plans to marry Tian, but the romance has since ended. The lawsuit seeks the return of approximately 30 million yuan, which Sun transferred to Tian’s parents as a traditional marriage-related payment.
Sun, the 36-year-old founder of blockchain company Tron, stated that he and Tian had been planning a future together. However, their relationship reportedly collapsed amid a $50 million demand from Tian, allegedly tied to having a child through surrogacy in the US. According to Sun, the “other party” demanded this sum and ceased communication after he refused to pay, leading him to conclude that “the engagement could no longer proceed.”
Sun’s lawyer, Zhang Qihuai, announced on Chinese social media that a court had accepted the lawsuit against Jing Tian and her parents. While Tian has not publicly detailed her side of the relationship, she posted on social media the day after the lawsuit surfaced, stating she had shown “poor judgment” in men and insisted she “will never sell my love for money.” She also expressed her belief in the law, stating that “justice and fairness will ultimately prevail.”
The article also notes that Sun previously gained attention in 2024 for spending $6.2 million on an artwork at Art Basel in Miami that featured a banana duct-taped to a wall, which he then promptly ate.
In a social media post about his romance with Tian, titled “My Girlfriend Jing Tian,” Sun described his longtime crush on the actress, a private movie-theater date, and his payment to her family. He also mentioned seeking advice from an AI chatbot regarding the alleged $50 million surrogacy demand and deciding against paying after consulting the AI. However, Sun appended a disclaimer to the post, stating that portions of his account were fictional, making some of the more sensational details difficult to independently verify.
Despite the disclaimer, the lawsuit over the 30 million yuan transfer is real, according to Sun’s lawyer.
Sun, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at around $8.5 billion, founded Tron in 2017. His past expenditures include $4.57 million for a charity lunch with Warren Buffett and $28 million for a seat on a Blue Origin spaceflight in 2025.
Sun has also faced regulatory scrutiny, including a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2023 alleging securities violations and market manipulation. That case was resolved in March with a settlement requiring a company tied to Sun’s crypto operations to pay a $10 million civil penalty, while claims against Sun himself and related foundations were dismissed.
Jing Tian’s career has spanned Chinese films and television, as well as major Hollywood productions. Her personal life has also been subject to public attention. She previously dated Chinese Olympic table tennis champion Zhang Jike and was reportedly a victim in a 2023 scandal involving intimate videos and an extortion attempt.
Chinese reports indicated that another man was sentenced to prison for attempting to extort Tian, though Zhang denied allegations of providing intimate material to settle gambling debts.
Source: New York Post
Be the first to comment