Singaporean actress Eleanor Lee, daughter of veteran host Quan Yifeng, has come under fire after an alleged audio clip of her making derogatory remarks about China surfaced online.
The 25-year-old actress has lost more than 30,000 followers on Douyin amid the controversy, while her upcoming drama series reportedly plans to use AI technology to replace her.
Eleanor Lee’s Social Media Accounts Suffer Major Follower Loss After Alleged Audio Leak
According to third-party data, Eleanor’s Douyin account took a significant hit after the controversy broke out. She reportedly lost 8,034 followers in a single day on 11 May 2025.
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As of 16 May 2025, her follower count had dropped by more than 34,000, falling from 1.011 million to 976,700.
The downward trend was visible across other platforms as well. On Xiaohongshu, her follower count decreased from 177,000 to 173,000, while on Weibo, it dipped from 9.081 million to 9.078 million.
Many fans expressed disappointment with Eleanor’s response to the scandal, which they felt lacked concrete proof.
Some pointed out that if the leaked audio were indeed fake, she could have taken legal action to clear her name but hasn’t done so.
In her statement addressing the allegations, Eleanor said: “I was born in China and returned to the country when I was 16. As I turn 26 years old this year, I have spent almost half of my life in China.”
“I gained many opportunities and received much help here, and I was able to shine bright in a career I like. I only have affection and gratitude for the land. I will never waver in my position on any issues concerning China.”
The controversy began when an alleged former assistant posted an audio recording online in which someone purported to be Eleanor made derogatory remarks about Chinese nationals, though the speaker’s identity remains unconfirmed.
Chinese Drama “The Journey of Legend” May Use AI Face-Swap Technology to Replace Eleanor Lee
Eleanor’s upcoming Chinese drama The Journey of Legend (赴山海) has now reportedly removed all traces of her from its promotional materials.
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Her name is allegedly no longer on the official cast list.
The drama, in which Eleanor plays the second female lead role, was originally scheduled to air on 20 May 2025, but industry insiders believe the date will be pushed back.
According to Chinese media reports, the production team is considering replacing Eleanor with another actress through AI face-swapping technology.
This digital replacement could cost approximately 20 million yuan (S$3.62 million), according to Shin Min Daily News.
The practice of digitally swapping actors isn’t unprecedented in Chinese entertainment. In 2023, Chinese actor Wang Dong was replaced by former Mediacorp actor Dai Xiangyu in the drama A Date With The Future following domestic violence accusations against Wang.
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Godfather Addy Lee Speaks Out Against Eleanor Lee and Quan Yifeng
As the controversy unfolded, Eleanor’s godfather, Addy Lee, went live on 13 May 2025, promising to “expose the true story” about Eleanor and her mother.
The livestream, which lasted six hours, initially attracted over 10,000 viewers, though many left partway through due to repetitive storytelling and lack of new information.
During the stream, Addy credited Quan Yifeng as his “benefactor” who helped him establish himself in Singapore’s entertainment industry when he arrived from Malaysia at 19 years old.
“Without her back then, I probably wouldn’t have what I have today,” he stated.
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However, Addy also claimed that while Quan Yifeng helped him, she also “ruined” him due to her temperament.
He recounted how the pair lived together during the pandemic and earned S$300,000 in just one month from livestreaming.
Tensions reportedly rose when Quan Yifeng accused Addy of profiting off her name and allegedly lashed out during one of their joint live sessions.
Addy claimed the mother-daughter duo eventually cut off all contact with him, even after Eleanor’s rise to fame in China.
What particularly bothered him was a recent post by Quan Yifeng and Eleanor at celebrity hairstylist David Gan’s salon, thanking him for “saving my damaged hair.”
Addy, who owns multiple hair salons, took issue with this post.
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