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Melbourne woman Jessie Qin breaks down asking questions about ‘sugar baby’ relationship

Caroline SchelleNCA NewsWire
A photo Ms Qin tendered of the pair embracing before she asked Mr Wang: “Can he see from the photo I love him?” Court supplied
Camera IconA photo Ms Qin tendered of the pair embracing before she asked Mr Wang: “Can he see from the photo I love him?” Court supplied Credit: Supplied

A Melbourne woman accused of branding her ex-lover a “scum man” online sobbed and asked her former beau whether he knew she loved him in a bizarre court hearing.

Property developer Barry Wang has taken Jessie Qin to court over allegations she defamed him in a series of WeChat posts calling him the name and a “rampant sex scammer”.

He wants the real estate agent to pay $350,000, make a public apology and retract the claims aired on the Chinese language app in April 2020.

Ms Qin, who is representing herself, quizzed her former lover during the defamation trial in the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday.

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A photo Ms Qin tendered of the pair embracing before she asked Mr Wang: “Can he see from the photo I love him?” Court supplied
Camera IconA photo Ms Qin tendered of the pair embracing before she asked Mr Wang: “Can he see from the photo I love him?” Court supplied Credit: Supplied

She tendered and aired a photo of the couple embracing and asked Mr Wang: “Can he see from the photo I love him?”

“I don’t think that’s a proper question that goes to a fact in issue in this case,” Judge Julie Clayton said.

“The case isn’t really about whether you loved him, the case is really about whether you defamed him by the publications that you published.”

Ms Qin said she was in a “serious relationship” and not just a “f***ing buddy”.

“I mean from the photo you can see I love him.”

But Mr Wang said “no” when asked if he was aware of her love for him.

Earlier in the hearing, she broke down when probing him about claims she was a “sugar baby”.

“In his reply he referred to me as a ‘sugar baby’ - why did he say that I am a ‘sugar baby’?” Ms Qin asked through an interpreter.

In court documents, the pair are said to have met on a site called “Seeking Arrangement” described as an online platform where “so-called sugar babies can meet so called sugar daddies to make so-called arrangements”.

The reply document filed to the court said on the site he had a “sugar daddy” profile and she had a “sugar baby” profile, and Mr Wang messaged her on the site.

“These paragraphs are aimed to explain to the court what kind of website Seeking Arrangement is,” Mr Wang explained through his interpreter.

“I did not … create these words.”

She asked if he insinuated she was a “sugar baby” in the document.

“I disagree,” Mr Wang said.

Barry Wang is suing former lover Jessie Qin over a series of allegedly defamatory WeChat posts.
Camera IconBarry Wang is suing former lover Jessie Qin over a series of allegedly defamatory WeChat posts. Credit: Supplied

The woman burst into tears, started sobbing and said media portrayed her as a “sugar baby”.

The hearing was paused for five minutes until Ms Qin was able to continue.

She was also repeatedly warned by the judge to ask direct questions and submit material she intended to use in a timely fashion.

“I have told you this would be difficult and encouraged you to get a lawyer but now it is getting to the point where you need to do the work and not waste everybody’s time,” Judge Julie Clayton said.

Her former lover alleged in court documents the WeChat posts falsely portrayed him as a scammer, manipulative and as someone who engaged in “mind games” with women.

Mr Wang claims she published articles in Chinese on a WeChat group called “Australian Village Gossiper” and called him a “rampant sex scammer” and a “scum man” in the lengthy publications.

The trial continues.

Originally published as Melbourne woman Jessie Qin breaks down asking questions about ‘sugar baby’ relationship

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