A city man is seeking compensation because he claims his ex-wife
confessed on a tell-all TV show that someone else was the father of
their child, a Shanghai court heard yesterday.
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Plaintiff Liang Chongshuai asked the Putuo District People's Court
to order his ex-wife, Chen Yan, to pay him more than 22,000 yuan
(US$2,750) to reimburse what he spent on the child and 50,000 yuan
for mental anguish.
Liang said he married Chen in March 2002 and the boy was born in
September 2004. The marriage, however, was troubled because Chen
lived at home only half the time, saying she was involved in an
outside business, according to testimony.
The Pudong New Area People's Court granted the couple a divorce
in October 2005. Guardianship of the child was awarded to Chen, and
Liang was ordered to pay 300 yuan a month in alimony.
On July 21, 2006, Liang said he was surprised to see his wife on
a TV talk show called "Heart Garden," on which guests bare their
souls about their love affairs and seek solutions to their
relationship troubles.
Though the woman on the TV program wore a mask and claimed her
surname was Lin, Liang said he recognized the speaker as his
ex-wife.
The woman told the TV audience that she lived with another
married man for nearly two years during her marriage and they had a
son. But after she divorced, her lover refused to leave his wife
and pay for raising the boy.
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Liang said he had long been skeptical that he was the father of the
boy as there was no resemblance between the two. After watching the
TV show, he said he became convinced he had been cheated by his
ex-wife because she divulged details that were similar to their
situation.
"Now that the boy isn't my son, Chen should return the money I
paid to raise him," Liang said. "I am seriously hurt by her lies
since I devoted all my love to the boy."
He admitted he doesn't have direct evidence to prove he's not
the father because Chen refused to authorize a paternity test.
The defendant didn't appear at the hearing yesterday. But her
lawyer denied she had appeared on the TV program.
He also pointed out that the Pudong court verdict clarified the
boy was Liang's and Chen's son.
Supporting Liang's assertion, a handwriting expert hired by the
Putuo court to examine documents signed by the woman on the TV show
concluded they were signed by Chen.
It was not immediately known when a verdict would be
announce.
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(Shanghai Daily March 16, 2007)