It’s been quite the roller coaster lately for busker Jeff Ng—from becoming an overnight sensation as he drew thousands when he played at The Cathay on Saturday nights in June, to profiles in the media, to sudden blowback due to accusations of abuse from a former partner as well as allegations of entitlement.
Last Saturday (July 2), shortly after allegations from his ex-girlfriend, the singer, 32, abruptly cancelled his live performance, citing rising Covid cases as the reason. A July 4 concert at Dhoby Gaut Green was also cancelled.
Can he bounce back from the scandal? Many of his fans appear to want to give him a second chance.
As recently as last week, Mr Ng was riding a wave of sudden popularity after his Saturday night busking drew larger and larger crowds outside The Cathay.
He documented this on TikTok, where fans can be seen swaying, waving their cell phones or light sticks and singing along.
@jeffhellomusic #jeffhellomusic #cathay #busking #那些你很冒險的夢 #jjlin @drifterjjlin
“It’s too beautiful,” he wrote on the TikTok on June 18, along with a heart-eye emoji.
In a piece published on June 29, CNA called him a “TikTok viral star.”
“Trust us when we say the crowds are only going to get bigger,” wrote 8days on June 23.
Well, maybe not.
The trouble began on July 1 when his former partner, a woman named Lena Ng, wrote a damning Facebook post about the musician’s character and behaviour.
Ms Ng wrote a lengthy post that included the following: “国宝 is the WORST person I’ve ever met, spent 3 years of living together (or should I say enslaved lol) almost everyday with him.”
She went on to accuse Mr Ng of gaslighting, control and manipulation, but added that she had to pretend that everything was all right.
“The cognitive dissonance almost drove me insane,” she wrote in a July 1 post that went viral.
“It came to a point where he could trigger panic attacks in me with just a phone call or a text. I would tremble in cold sweat and spend sleepless nights beside him crying whilst he doesn’t give a shit. On eggshells everyday.
Swear to god even now, years on now, whenever I see a post regarding him it still triggers a panicky reflex in me. I believe it does so for the others too,” Ms Ng added, posting screenshots of their conversations.
It appears that she wasn’t the only one he mistreated, according to her post.
Immediately after Ms Ng’s post, the musician issued a public apology to her, claiming, “I was young and reckless in my 20s, and I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. know this is not a reasonable excuse at all. I was wrong, and am sincerely sorry.”
“To Lena, I am sincerely sorry for my behaviour. To my family, friends, and supporters I am sorry that I have let you down. I promise to continue to work hard at becoming a better person. Thank you for giving me a chance,” he added.
His wife, Jona Tay, came to his defence in a comment on his post claiming “Jeff is a changed man and he’s an awesome husband.”
Nevertheless, other accusations against Mr Ng have emerged on social media, including one from fellow singer Khim Ng, who said that while she sincerely wanted to be happy for him, she added, “But then again all of us that “knows him” also can’t stand his DIVA and entitled attitude in the music and live bar gigs industry. Talent is 1 thing, but work Ethics , self awareness and attitude to ANYONE AND EVERYONE is EVERYTHING to survive.”
She then proceeded to write that “no major LIVE BAR outlets will DARE to hire him” because he “still SCOLDS patrons for ‘making noise’ during his sets.”
On July 3, a TikToker posted a video from pre-Covid times of a broadcast of Mr Ng on a Chinese livestreaming app.
https://www.tiktok.com/@pamminnie/video/7116015147390487809?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7108688882145134086
In it, he asks participants to “try not to chat.”
He also says, “If you don’t want to leave, that’s okay. I’ll leave. After this song finishes, I’ll leave the livestream. I can take a break as well. I’m okay. I’ll just not collect my ‘wages’.”
Nevertheless, the singer’s fans don’t seem to intend on giving up on him any time soon, based on numerous comments on his apology post.
/TISG
Worst person I’ve ever met: ex-GF of Cathay Busker Jeff Ng reveals singer’s abusive behaviour