Chinese actress Vicky Zhao Wei has once again found herself embroiled in another controversy, this time, for withholding payment of her school fees for eight years.

This is alleged by some reporters in China, who found the Chinese star's name amongst a list of students who were found to have outstanding fees owed to the Beijing Film Academy.

According to the source, the amount owed came up to RMB25,000 (about S$5400) in total.

The actress, famous for her role as the ditzy but loveable "Little Swallow" on the highly-popular televsion serial "Princess Pearl", graduated from the Academy's Performance Institute in 2000.

In a notice released by the school on 31 Oct 2008, it said, "Since the start of term till now, there are still some students who have not paid their tuition and lodging fees. In the midst of the busy term, this is a reminder to all students who have yet to do so to please make payment soon."

No stranger to scandals, Zhao has previously been slammed in the Chinese media for wearing a dress with a Japanese military flag on the cover of Bazaar Magazine. In 2004, she once again found herself in the news for allegedly beating up a pregnant former business partner.

This time however, she blames her poor memory for the gaffe.

Zhao could not be reached for a comment as she is currently filming overseas. Speaking through her manager, Mr Chen Rong Chen, she admits to the incident, claims it was an honest mistake.

"Due to her hectic schedule, this issue probably slipped her mind, and as it is considered a personal matter, the company did not interfere," he said, adding that Zhao has since asked someone to pay the fees on her behalf.