Singapore — Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) co-founder Sylvia Chan has come out with a second public apology in two weeks, following allegations of her mistreating her staff.

The 33-year-old Singaporean YouTuber took to Instagram on Oct 13 with her first apology to acknowledge she has “not lived up to the standards” expected of her, noting she has disappointed people around her. However, her initial apology had been critiqued as insincere by some.

In another apology on Monday (Oct 25), following a tell-all interview by blogger Xiaxue, Ms Chan wrote on Instagram:

“Hi everyone. I am truly sorry for all the wrongs I have done, and the mistakes I have made”.

She added that the past three weeks were “draining” but they had given her a chance to reflect. Asking for time and space to settle things privately, Ms Chan acknowledged the involvement of authorities such as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) and the police.

The police had previously confirmed that a report had been filed, in the wake of a blog post alleging wrongdoings such as the bartering of sexual service from NOC talents in exchange for courier services, and misappropriation of company funds.

Ms Chan said that she was “fully cooperating” with the authorities and would be accountable for her actions. She also added that she hoped for a chance to work on herself to “become a better person, and a better leader”.

 

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A post shared by Sylvia Chan (@sylsylnoc)

The timeline:

  • On Oct 7, Instagram page @sgcickenrice began sharing allegations against Ms Chan with screenshots and audio clips of Ms Chan hurling expletives on her employees.

Ms Chan reportedly called one of their talents named Samantha “f**king dumb” and planned an “exit strategy” for her.

  • Colgate confirmed it has terminated “all related collaborations” with Ms Chan on Oct 9 through an Instagram comment. Beverage brand Milo also said it wasn’t working with Ms Chan on any brand ambassadorships.
  • On Monday (Oct 11), NOC sent a cease and desist letter to @sgcickenrice, demanding it stop publishing allegations. @sgcickenrice uploaded a copy of the lawyer’s letter.
  • On the same day, NOC uploaded a statement on Instagram – consisting of four pages – explaining that the company believes the accusations were made to harm the company’s reputation. NOC noted that the “cherry-picked” clips and screenshots posted online between “private individuals” will be investigated by authorities.
  • On Tuesday (Oct 12), @sgcickenrice uploaded a photo by Eugene Thuraisingam, a law firm representing the anonymous Instagram account on a pro bono basis. The letter reads, “We have just been instructed to act for SGCICKENRICE and have been handed a copy of your letter to our client on 11 October 2021.”

“Your letter was sent to our client after 6 pm on 11 October 2021. You asked that our client take action by 10 am on 12 October 2021.”

/TISG

NOC workplace harassment saga: Sylvia Chan apologises, says ‘I did not step up to the standards that I should have upheld’