'Good Boy' Park Bo Gum is determined to confront injustice head-on
Actress Eleanor Lee of The Journey of Legend, also starring Cheng Yi and Gulnezer Bextiyar, has found herself in a controversy.
Recently, Eleanor Lee, in an audio recording reportedly exposed by her former assistant, was allegedly heard saying, "Most Chinese are idiots" and that she "came to China only to make money."
Following the escalation of the controversy, it is reported that the production team of The Journey of Legend deleted promotional content related to Lee. Some of the actress's brand partners replaced promotional materials featuring her, and state media outlets also deleted reports related to her.
The controversy grew to such an extent that on May 10, Lee's studio issued a statement in response:
Recently, our agency discovered that some users on online platforms were maliciously spreading false information about our artist Ms. Lee Kai Xin [aka Eleanor Lee], which has seriously damaged Ms. Lee Kai Xin's reputation and caused great trouble to her personal life and work, resulting in a severely negative social impact. In response to the above situation, our agency hereby solemnly makes the following statement:
1. Ms. Lee Kai Xin has always respected and loved Chinese culture. For many years, she has actively studied Chinese and participated in the filming of Chinese film and television productions, and has dedicated herself to promoting cultural exchange. The audio recordings and such content circulating online are completely fabricated and false, and constitute a suspected infringement of Ms. Lee Kai Xin's legal rights and interests.
2. All netizens who have published or reposted false information are requested to immediately delete the relevant information and cease all dissemination and amplification activities. For those who refuse to stop the infringement or continue spreading rumors, our agency will take legal action to defend our [artist's] rights, and under no circumstances tolerate [such behavior].
We urge the netizens to rationally discern online content and refrain from spreading false information. We thank people from all walks of life for their attention and support toward Ms. Lee Kai Xin. In the future, we will continue to face public scrutiny with a positive attitude and respond to everyone's trust with high-quality works.
Hereby declared.
Lee Kai Xin Agency
May 10, 2025
Subsequently, Eleanor Lee reposted the statement and apologised for the controversy. She stated as follows:
I sincerely apologize for the matter related to me that has caused such a big controversy, and for occupying public resources. I was shocked when I heard the audio recording in question. Those words were absolutely not spoken by me.
I was born in China and returned here again at the age of 16. I turn 26 this year, and I've spent nearly half of my life in China. I've received many opportunities and support here, and I've been fortunate to shine and thrive in a career I love. I have deep love and gratitude for this land. On any issue related to China's stance, I would absolutely never get involved. The reason I didn't speak out immediately [after the controversy arose] is that I was sorting out the facts with the hope of providing a clear and satisfactory explanation to those who have been concerned about me. I will also demonstrate my stance through my actions, and I welcome everyone to monitor my actions moving forward. Once again, I apologize for my controversy and for occupying online public resources.
The Journey of Legend is a wuxia drama adapted from Wen Rui An's novel "Shen Zhou Qi Xia".
The series stars Cheng Yi and Gulnezer Bextiyar (Nazha) in lead roles, with Eleanor Lee playing the second female lead, Tang Fang.
Currently, the C-drama has over 3.7 million reservations on iQIYI and more than 3.6 million on Tencent Video.
C-netizens have high expectations for the show and hope the controversy will not affect its broadcast schedule.
Source: Luzhong Morning Post
