Photo taken on May 18, 2014 shows Lee Jinglei and Wang Leehom in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. Photo: VCG

The concept of gaslighting, a form of emotional manipulation in abusive relationships, went viral on Chinese social media overnight after Wang Leehom’s ex-wife Lee Jinglei accused the Chinese-American singer online Monday of having lit it on gas for years in their marriage.

Lee referred to the concept in a post on China’s Sina Weibo Twitter, drawing the attention of many netizens who have started to wonder what gas lighting means and how to avoid it.

“As the psychologist said, your article is a typical example of gas lighting,” Lee wrote in response to Wang’s accusations made in a previous article.

Lee then explained the meaning of the gas light, claiming that Wang attempted to use false or misleading accusations to distract people and anger them so he could pretend to be a victim. He wanted to manipulate his friends, family, and fans into joining him in bullying Lee.

“I was in this dilemma for years, but now a psychologist has taught me to see what you were doing and to develop the ability to bring attention back to the issues that really need to be discussed,” Lee wrote in a. long post. .

The term was inspired by the 1944 film Gas Light. In a relationship, if a partner questions your memory of events, trivializes your thoughts or feelings, and turns things around to blame you, you may be caught in a pattern of events. emotional abuse and emotional abuse.

If we are to avoid being enlightened by others, it is important for us to learn to believe in ourselves instead of making excuses for the mistakes of others. We need to get rid of the habit of blaming ourselves, ignoring our own feelings and suppressing our emotions, and trusting our judgment.

Lee’s situation is not only a warning to women in romantic relationships, but can also be a lesson for men, as they can just as easily be the target of their partners’ gaslighting. It is important that everyone recognizes the different methods of emotional manipulation and has the courage to avoid them.

Following the trend, some Chinese internet users said they bought books on emotional manipulation while others posted videos to introduce the concept to more internet users.

The Protection of Rights and Interests of Women Act is set to insert content on emotional manipulation, including emotional abuse like gas lighting, to provide legal protection for women. The draft amendment was tabled on Monday.

Late Friday night, Lee posted a lengthy article on Sina Weibo in which she said Wang had cheated on her, transferred marital property, had affairs with married women, and emotionally abused her, forcing her to come to terms with the situation. divorced.

Wang responded on Sunday night on his Sina Weibo account, saying he had lived under the shadow of horror, blackmail and threats for nearly six years until they went their separate ways.

He denied that he had been unfaithful to his wife and said he eventually gave in to Lee’s demands by giving her 150 million yuan and additional living expenses.