A Chinese influencer’s graphic livestream of his wife’s childbirth has sparked widespread outrage and led to his account being banned from the social media platform Weibo. The influencer, identified as “Paul in USA,” a 36-year-old Microsoft product manager, uploaded the 23-hour video on February 11, 2026, documenting the entire labor and delivery process.
The footage quickly drew condemnation for its explicit content, which included images of the wife’s exposed body and details of a serious medical complication. According to reports from the South China Morning Post, the woman suffered a third-degree perineal tear and experienced postpartum hemorrhage, losing 3,344ml of blood, requiring an emergency blood transfusion. Critics allege that Paul continued filming even as medical staff responded to the crisis.
Adding to the controversy, the influencer reportedly incorporated a paid advertisement for diapers into the livestream, reading a promotional script even as his wife was undergoing a medical emergency. The influencer’s commercial reach was substantial, with reports indicating he charged up to 298,000 yuan (approximately $42,000 USD) for videos exceeding 60 seconds in length. The financial gain from the diaper advertisement before the video’s removal remains unclear.
Despite the intense backlash, Paul’s wife issued a statement on February 10, 2026, defending the decision to film and share the footage. She stated that their intention was to “authentically document the childbirth process” and that they “did not anticipate complications during filming, but still felt it was important to share the footage.” This explanation failed to quell the public outcry, with many accusing the influencer of exploiting his wife’s pain for financial gain and online attention.
Weibo responded to the widespread criticism by banning the “Paul in USA” account on February 11, 2026, citing violations of platform policies and relevant laws. The ban effectively removed the influencer’s access to his 12.2 million followers.
Paul Reynolds, a Support Escalation Engineer at Microsoft based in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to his LinkedIn profile, is listed as working at Microsoft. Paul Johns, a researcher at Microsoft in Washington, focuses on Visualization and Interaction for People, according to ResearchGate. Dr. Paul S. Blaer is a Senior Lecturer in Discipline at Columbia University’s Department of Computer Science. It remains unconfirmed whether the “Paul in USA” influencer is connected to any of these individuals.
