A combination of factors, including a tangled lawsuit and her own weak character, led her to swallow a large amount of sleeping pills to end her life.
The fact that she took her own life by swallowing sleeping pills had a lot to do with the two men in her life. The first was Zhang Damin, the young master of the house where Ruan Lingyu's mother worked as a maid. He fell in love with the maid's daughter and moved in with the 15 or 16 year old Lingyu at the age of 18 or 19. Opposed by Zhang's parents, Damin had no financial resources and later squandered his inheritance, living off the pay Lingyu received from her movie shootings.
During the relationship, Ruan Lingyu tried to commit suicide because of her humble origins, her unrecognized marital relationship, and the insults Zhang's family inflicted on her mother. Later, she became so frustrated with Chang that she ended her cohabitation only to be blackmailed by him, requiring her to pay him a constant sum of money for two years to cover her living expenses.
Ruan Lingyu's main achievements:
Ruan Lingyu, formerly known as Ruan Fenggen, was born in Shanghai, Guangdong Province, Xiangshan County, Nanjian Zuobutou Township, mainland China actress, Shanghai Chongde Girls' High School undergraduates. 1926, appeared in his first film, "the titular couple," and thus opened the career of the actor; in the same year, starred in the drama film, "Beijing In the same year, she starred in the drama movie "Beijing".
In 1930, Ruan Ling starred in the drama film "Spring Dreams in the Old City"; in 1932, she starred in the drama film "Continuing Spring Dreams in the Old City"; in 1933, she played the role of Mrs. Ye in the drama film "Gadgets"; in 1934, she starred in the drama film "New Woman", which was directed by Tsai Chusheng; and in 1938, the drama film "Tears of Blood in the Palace of the Dancing Manor", which was starred in, was released. 2005, Ruan Ling was selected as the "Best Actress" in the 14th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival. In 2005, the 14th Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival named Ruan Lingyu as one of the 100 most outstanding actors in China's 100-year film history.