Mbappé Dropped by Two Chinese Brands Over Mao Joke Video

What changed

Kylian Mbappé was dropped by two major Chinese brands on Tuesday after a video circulated online in which the French football star apparently joked about Mao Zedong. Drinks company Dongpeng said it was ending all cooperation with Mbappé immediately, citing a “zero-tolerance policy” toward behaviour that offends national sentiments.

Why it matters

The break shows how quickly a celebrity partnership can become a liability when it touches a deeply sensitive national symbol. Mao, who died in 1976, remains China’s founding leader, and jokes about him are considered socially taboo.

For Dongpeng, the issue is no longer simply Mbappé’s value as a global sports figure. The brand has publicly drawn a line around what it considers acceptable in a market where cultural symbolism can outweigh advertising appeal.

The video’s authenticity and full context have not been established, and the identity and commercial terms of the second brand remain undisclosed. That leaves the immediate commercial damage difficult to measure, but Dongpeng’s decision is clear: the partnership is over.