CHINA: Based on a report by VnExpress, Singaporean actress Eleanor Lee has refuted claims that she insulted Chinese people, calling them “idiots” in a leaked audio recording that caused backlash on social media, based on a report by VnExpress.
The 25-year-old star took to social media on May 10 to apologise for all the drama and for taking up people’s time and attention. Apparently, she was really shocked when she heard the recording and wanted to make it clear that those weren’t actually her words.
Figuring out what happened
In her post, Lee explained that she didn’t jump in to say something right away because she was busy trying to figure out exactly what happened. She wanted to make sure she had all the facts straight so she could give a proper answer to everyone who cares about her. She also said that she’s going to show people her true feelings through her actions from now on, and she’s open to everyone keeping an eye on her in the future.
Lee left Singapore to go to China when she was 16 years old. She reaffirmed her deep affection for China. She expressed how much China has given her, saying she’s had amazing chances and lots of support here, which has allowed her to really shine in the work she loves. She went on to say that she absolutely loves and is so thankful for this place, and that her feelings about China and any related issues will always be firm and unwavering.
Controversial audio recording
In April, the scandal started when an anonymous netizen who claimed to be Lee’s former assistant uploaded a low-quality 30-second audio clip on Weibo. So, this recording that’s going around supposedly captures a woman saying she’s “not doing this for the attention, but for the cash.” And it also claims she said that “most people in China are idiots.” Plus, you can hear stuff going on in the background, and it’s hard to make out some of the talking.
The thing is, no one’s actually confirmed if that voice on the recording is really Lee’s. But after news about it spread in China and Taiwan, it really blew up, and people online got seriously angry. Lots of folks slammed the actress, even saying she should be “cancelled”.
On May 10, her agency put out a statement to stand up for her and say the accusations weren’t true. The statement criticised the spread of false information and said it had ruined her reputation. Her agency said that Eleanor Lee has always had a lot of respect and love for Chinese culture.
Respect and fondness for Chinese culture
“For ages now, she’s been really dedicated to learning Chinese and getting involved in Chinese movies and TV shows. She’s all about helping different cultures connect and understand each other better,” her agency said.
Announcing plans to take legal action against anyone who continues to promote the fraudulent claims, the agency also condemned the audio recording and other connected content as fake.
Lee is actually going to be in this new historical drama from China called The Journey of Legend. She’s playing a character named Tang Fang and will be acting alongside these other Chinese stars, Cheng Yi and Gulnazar Bextiyar.
Her name was missing from a pinned post on the show’s Weibo account on April 9, though, which sparked rumours that she might have been cut from the cast.
They actually finished filming the show back in October last year, but they still have not said exactly when it’s going to come out.
Some internet users hypothesise that Lee’s purported comments may have an effect on the show’s airing.
Famous parents
Back in 2015, Lee first really caught people’s attention because of this Apple ad for China that went totally viral. And just so you know, her mom is Quan Yifeng, a TV host from Singapore who was born in Taiwan, and her dad is Peter Yu, who used to be an actor. After appearing in the ad, she pursued acting, enrolling at the Beijing Film Academy in 2017.
Lee has also been in some pretty well-liked Chinese TV shows, like Solaso Bistro back in 2017, My Love, Enlighten Me in 2020, and she was even in the 2020 movie The Enchanting Phantom, which is a new version of that classic Hong Kong film from way back in 1987, A Chinese Ghost Story.