Singaporean actress Eleanor Lee has found herself in the middle of an online storm, with rumours accusing her of making derogatory comments about people in China.

It is also claimed that the 25-year-old China-based star and daughter of Singaporean TV host Quan Yifeng has been removed from the cast list of an upcoming Chinese period drama, The Journey Of Legend, as a result.

Lee’s alleged remarks have also led to the delay of the airing of the show in early May, according to online speculation.

Based on a novel by Malaysia-born author Woon Swee Oan, The Journey Of Legend also stars Chinese actor Cheng Yi and Chinese actress Gulnazar Bextiyar. Lee plays one of the main characters, Tang Fang.

The show wrapped up filming in October 2024.

The furore started when an anonymous netizen claiming to be Lee’s former assistant recently released a poor-quality 31-second audio recording on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

In the recording, which features a lot of background noise, a woman is heard saying she is “doing this not for fame but for money” and that “most people in China are idiots”.

It is not confirmed if it is Lee’s voice in the clip.

A spokesperson from the Chinese agency which manages Lee told The Straits Times on May 9: “We are looking into the matter and will provide an update over the next two days.”

Lee’s name is still listed on one of the pinned posts dated Oct 25, 2024 on The Journey Of Legend’s Weibo account. Her name is missing on another pinned post dated April 9, but her scenes can still be seen in the accompanying video.

According to Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao, The Journey Of Legend has not announced its official premiere date, and that the early May release was only a rumour. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network