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| Alleged Audio of Eleanor Lee Sparks Outcry and Potential Career Fallout (Tencent/Weibo) |
Singaporean-Chinese actress Eleanor Lee aka Li Kaixin has found herself at the centre of a growing controversy after a voice recording—allegedly featuring her disparaging remarks about mainland Chinese citizens—surfaced online.
The audio, leaked by someone claiming to be her former personal assistant, has caused significant public backlash and raised questions about her continued role in the upcoming Chinese drama Go to the Mountains and Sea.
The 25-year-old actress, daughter of well-known Mediacorp host Quan Yifeng and former actor Peter Yu, had been cast as one of the female leads in the series.
However, recent reports from Chinese media outlets including Tencent suggest that her future with the production may now be in jeopardy.
In the recording, the voice—allegedly belonging to Lee—can be heard saying, “If you’re famous, you’re famous. Good for you if you can make money. I’m not doing this for fame, but for money, and that’s fine as long as I have shows to film and money to earn. What else can I do?”
But it was the final line that reportedly caused the most offence: “The majority of Chinese people are fools.”
Eleanor Lee (Li Kaixin) Audio
— Tonboriday (@tonboriday.bsky.social) May 11, 2025 at 8:16 AM
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The person who leaked the clip claims to have worked closely with Lee and accuses the actress not only of disrespecting her Chinese audience, but also of being entangled in personal scandals, including allegedly involving herself as a willing third party in someone else’s relationship.
They added that they had kept audio recordings of their conversations with Lee over the years as “evidence”.
At this time, the authenticity of the clip has not been verified, and no official comment has been issued by Eleanor Lee, her management, or the production company behind the drama.
Speculation surrounding her possible removal from Go to the Mountains and Sea has intensified as eagle-eyed netizens noted her name was missing from the most recent cast list shared by the show’s official channels.
Last year, she was tagged in social media posts by the drama’s team, and reports confirm that she completed filming for the series, appearing in many key scenes.
Yet this year, her absence from promotional material—despite being visible in the trailer—has only fuelled rumours of a quiet removal.
The drama, initially slated for release this year, has seen a conspicuous lack of publicity in recent months, which some believe is tied to the controversy.
Eleanor Lee and her studio have both come out swinging. On 10 May, Eleanor posted a personal apology and a denial.
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“I was shocked when I heard the recording. Those are absolutely not my words,” she wrote.
“I’ve lived in China for half my life and received many opportunities here. My feelings towards this land have never changed.”
She also explained that the delay in response was because her team needed time to gather the facts.
“Please hold me accountable through my future actions,” she added, in a heartfelt plea to win back trust.
Her studio also issued a formal statement, calling the viral clip entirely fake and maliciously edited.
They stressed Eleanor’s dedication to Chinese culture and warned of legal action against anyone continuing to spread what they claim is defamation
As public opinion continues to shift and media scrutiny increases, it remains to be seen whether Eleanor Lee will be able to weather this storm—or if her words, whether truly hers or not, will cost her one of the most significant roles of her career to date.