Singapore actress Eleanor Lee accused of calling Chinese nationals ‘idiots’ in voice clip
Online users claim Lee is the speaker in the clip uploaded on RedNote, and the actress is said to have been removed from the cast list of her new drama
A Singaporean actress has come under fire on Chinese social media platform RedNote after online users alleged she was the speaker in a leaked audio clip describing Chinese nationals as “idiots”.
According to national broadsheet The Straits Times, Eleanor Lee, the 25-year-old China-based celebrity and daughter of Singaporean TV host Quan Yifeng, is said to have been removed from the cast list of a coming Chinese period drama, The Journey of Legend, because of the accusations.
Tensions flared when an anonymous online user, who claimed to be Lee’s ex-assistant, uploaded a 31-second audio recording on RedNote. The speaker can be heard saying that she is not doing this to become famous but for the money, before proceeding to describe receiving negative publicity because Chinese people, by and large, are “idiots”.
“All that matters is that there are movies to be filmed and money to be made. What else can I do?” the speaker said. “When it is over, I still get criticised, just because most Chinese nationals are idiots.”
In response to the audio clip, online users criticised Lee for insulting China, with some even threatening to “cancel” the actress.
“Can’t stand this one bit. The platform still wants to broadcast [her drama]? That’s really bold,” wrote one RedNote user.
“Protect our country’s prestige and resist humiliating Chinese dramas,” another said.
“Who is this woman? She is so arrogant,” a third user wrote.
Some have called for the star to leave China, while others are demanding that she address the clip.
In response to queries, a spokesperson from Lee’s agency, China Artiste Management, said it was “looking into the matter” and would provide an update in the next two days, The Straits Times reported.
The Journey of Legend has not announced an official premiere date.
Lee moved to China in 2016 to pursue a career in acting, even enrolling in the Beijing Film Academy.
At the age of 16, she broke into the Chinese market after clinching a coveted role in a viral Chinese Apple commercial in 2015, paving the way for her acting career.
