'Married Woman After 5-Minute Video Call': Chinese Man Seeks Divorce Just 9 Days After Marriage

A Chinese man who married a woman just three days after a brief five-minute video call is now seeking a divorce and taking legal action against the matchmaking agency that arranged the union. The man, identified only by his surname Gu, is a 32-year-old resident of eastern China's Zhejiang province. As the only child in his family, Gu said intense pressure from his parents pushed him into making the life-changing decision.

According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Gu paid 200 yuan (around Rs 2,788) to join a local matchmaking service, which introduced him to a 30-year-old woman from Shaanxi province in northwestern China. The woman's online profile claimed she had no debts, no criminal history, and no serious illnesses or genetic conditions. The profile further stated that she was open to a "flash marriage and marrying far away."

During their only pre-marriage interaction—a five-minute video call—Gu asked questions about her family background and profession. However, according to the South China Morning Post, most of the responses came from the matchmaker rather than the woman herself.

The woman reportedly said she worked as a salesperson, while the matchmaker assured Gu that both a credit history report and a premarital medical examination report would be provided before the wedding.

Despite never meeting face-to-face, Gu and his family moved ahead with the marriage plans. The family spent a staggering 265,000 yuan (approximately Rs 36.95 lakh), including a 100,000-yuan (Rs 13.94 lakh) bride price and a 160,000-yuan (Rs 22.31 lakh) matchmaking fee.

The matchmaker later accompanied the woman to Gu's city, and the couple officially registered their marriage just three days after their first virtual meeting. Notably, Gu's family never met the woman's parents before the wedding.

Soon after the marriage, Gu took his wife to a bank to verify her credit history. There, he allegedly discovered that she was carrying debts worth 100,000 yuan. The woman reportedly claimed the debt belonged to her former boyfriend.

Gu noticed that the name displayed on her mobile payment application—which requires real-name verification—did not match the identity information provided by the matchmaking agency.

The woman later revealed that she had elevated liver enzyme levels and needed to lose weight, although she maintained that the condition would not impact her fertility.

Just nine days after the wedding, Gu decided to end the marriage and sought a divorce. While the woman initially agreed, the dispute soon escalated into a legal battle.

She later filed a lawsuit against Gu, alleging that his request for divorce caused her depression and demanding 50,000 yuan (approximately Rs 6.97 lakh) in compensation.

Meanwhile, Gu has launched a separate lawsuit against the matchmaking centre, seeking a refund of the hefty fees paid for the failed match. The agency has refused, claiming that the couple fabricated the dispute.