Beijing, April 10 - A famous Chinese comic has been sued by a diet-tea drinker who accused him of making false claims in an ad for "Tibetan Secret Fat Elimination Tea," Xinhua news agency said Tuesday.
A Beijing court accepted a suit from a plaintiff surnamed Zhang, claiming she was cheated by Guo Degang who advertised the tea with the claim that he had lost 3 kg (6.6 lb) since drinking the "miraculous Tibetan tea."
His slogan -- "No big belly after three boxes of tea" -- soon became a popular catch phrase.
"Zhang is seeking an apology and damages of 172 yuan ($22) from Guo, the tea producer, a sales agency and the advertising company with a claim that they are guilty of commercial fraud.
In his defense, Guo said he found the tea was "pretty good" because he became much slimmer after drinking it.
"Zhang said she bought three boxes of tea because she was a fan of Guo, but found she lost no weight at all and suffered nausea and vomiting," Xinhua said.
She later learned from a China Central Television program on World Consumer Rights Day in March that the tea had nothing to do with Tibet.