Reality show Sing! China recently found itself in the centre of controversy after a leaked audio clip purportedly of late pop diva Coco Lee claiming she was mistreated on the show went viral on Chinese social media.
In the nine-minute audio clip, Lee – who died at 48 on July 5 – could be heard complaining about being "humiliated" and "bullied" on the show, sparking outrage among fans and celebrities.
On Aug 19, Hong Kong artiste Jenny Tseng – a close friend of Lee who delivered a eulogy at the late singer's funeral – took to Facebook to criticise everyone involved in Sing! China.
In her post, she wrote: "Everyone who participates in Sing! China lacks integrity and will stoop to any means for fame and fortune, even if it means demeaning their own profession and looking down on their colleagues!"
Tseng, 70, also went on a tirade in the comment section, extending her criticisms to the show's mentors.
"They have brought shame upon me and insulted their own artistry, which have elevated them to great wealth and success," she wrote.
She then continued: "Even big artistes lower their fees so they can appear on the show and ride the wave of popularity. It's a show for 1.4 billion people after all.
"No wonder they tolerate the greed of the production staff and treat singers like slaves. It's abominable."
In another reply under her post, Tseng called Sing! China a "crappy show" and revealed that she had advised Lee long ago not to take part in such programmes and to rest well.
She also said that any game should be thoroughly explained and transparent, so that individuals can choose whether they wish to participate or not.
"Deception is the most shameless act," she wrote.
Meanwhile, Sing! China producer Star CM Holdings Ltd saw its stock tumbling a record 23% following the claims of mistreatment.
Other allegations Lee purportedly addressed in the clip included getting threatened by the crew to have security guards remove her from stage and getting grabbed by her shirt and pulled offstage.
Lee, who went for a surgery early February to treat a defect in her left leg, also claimed that the production team – who initially agreed to the singer's request for her mentee Wang Zepeng to stand beside her – later cued Wang to walk away during the filming of the show last October, causing Lee to fall onstage.
Addressing the allegations in a Weibo post on Aug 17, Sing! China's production team said that the clip was edited with malicious intent, and that it was disrespectful to the late singer and damaged the show's reputation.
It also added that it would refrain from providing further response out of respect for Lee.
Lee's older sister Nancy has since responded to Hong Kong media's inquiries regarding the matter, saying: "Coco has already addressed this in the clip, so we won't provide further explanation."
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