Former Mediacorp actress Zully Le criticises Ian Fang for his sexual offences
Former Mediacorp actress Zully Le (right) has lashed out at former actor Ian Fang after he pleaded guilty to three counts of sexually penetrating an underage girl. PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO, IAMZULLY/INSTAGRAM
SINGAPORE – Former Mediacorp actress Zully Le has lashed out at former actor Ian Fang after the latter was sentenced to 40 months' jail for committing sexual offences against a minor.
Fang, 35, pleaded guilty on May 19 to three counts of sexually penetrating an underage girl.
Better known as Le Yao, she wrote the post, titled 'The Price of Being In the Limelight', on Instagram and Facebook on May 20.
'The limelight is a double-edged sword. It can make you a national idol or bring you back to your former self overnight,' she wrote in Chinese.
'You want to enjoy the benefits of being in the limelight, yet you don't set a strict standard for your behaviour? You want to have social influence and make lots of money, but yet you don't obey the law and be a good citizen? It's impossible to be so greedy as to 'have it all'.'
'Please – be a human first before acting,' Le wrote, without naming the person.
She told Mediacorp's online publication 8world that she was referring to Fang, saying that they both hailed from Shanghai.
She came to Singapore to participate in the Star Search finals after she was the female winner for the Shanghai zone in 2001.
Meanwhile, local actor Christopher Lee was approached by Chinese-language evening daily Shin Min Daily News. Fang had previously addressed him as 'shifu' (mentor or teacher).
The 53-year-old, who is married to actress Fann Wong, responded with 'I don't know what to say', and declined to comment further.
Fang played Fann's younger brother in crime drama On The Fringe (2011) and then interned at media production company Wawa Pictures. He served as a production assistant on the medical drama The Oath (2011), which starred Lee and Jesseca Liu.
Ian Fang (left) and Christopher Lee in a file photo from 2011.
PHOTO: IAN FANG
Fang then played Lee's son in gambling drama Show Hand (2012) and became Lee's mentee.
'I would always 'pester' him on the set, for example, by calling him 'shifu',' Fang had said.
However, on the YouTube programme Rise 'N Shine in October 2024, Fang said that he no longer called Lee 'shifu' but 'big brother' instead.
'I let him down a few times and I could feel it even though he didn't say it,' Fang said.
Referring to the leak of explicit private messages between him and actress Carrie Wong in 2019, Fang said: 'I was lectured by him after the incident.'
Fang quoted a disappointed Lee as saying then: 'Can you make me feel proud when you call me 'shifu'? Not the type of incredulous expression when people learn that I am your 'shifu'.'
Fang added that Lee did not cut ties with him due to the text-messaging scandal. He apologised to Lee on the show and promised to be the best version of himself. The video has since been deleted.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Top seed Aryna Sabalenka battles past Zheng Qinwen to reach French Open semis
– World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka ended Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen's winning streak on the Paris clay with a straight-sets victory on June 3 to seal herself a spot in the French Open semi-finals. The top seed from Belarus won through 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 against the Chinese eighth seed in just under two hours on Court Philippe Chatrier, and will next play three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland for a place in the final. The 27-year-old Sabalenka fought back after struggling in the first set against Zheng, who had beaten her in the last eight on clay in Rome in May, extending her record against the Chinese player to 7-1. 'The last tournament I was pretty exhausted,' said Sabalenka. 'Today I was more fresh I was ready to battle, to fight and give everything. Honestly, I was actually glad that I lost that match because I needed a little break before Roland Garros.' Sabalenka once again got the upper hand over Zheng, who had been on a winning streak of 10 matches on the Paris clay after her run to Olympic gold last summer. Zheng broke and led 4-2 in the first set. But numerous unforced errors – 31 in total – allowed the Belarusian to come back. The second set was also tight before Sabalenka broke back to lead 4-3, taking advantage of her opponent's errors. Sabalenka converted her first match point on a poorly-controlled drop-shot from Zheng to reach her seventh semi-final of the season. 'That was a true battle. Honestly I have no idea how I was able to break her back and get back in the first set,' added Sabalenka. 'I was just trying to fight and I was just trying to put as many balls as I could back in. I didn't start well but I'm really glad I found my rhythm and won this match. It was a tough one. 'I was just more fresh today and I was ready to battle, fight and leave everything that I have on court to get this win. I think that's about it.' Sabalenka advances to her 11th Grand Slam semi-final overall, and her second in Paris following her run in 2023, which ended in a three-set loss to Czech Karolina Muchova. A three-time Grand Slam winner – winning the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the reigning US Open champion – she is chasing her sixth Grand Slam final berth. A blockbuster semi-final awaits, as Swiatek marched into the last four with a straight-sets victory over 13th seed Elina Svitolina. The Pole bested the former world No. 3 from Ukraine 6-1, 7-5 in just over 90 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier – following Sabalenka's victory – to continue her bid to equal a 102-year record by winning four successive French Open titles. 'Aryna is always a challenge, she has a game for every surface. I need to focus on myself, do the work and just go for it,' said Swiatek. The rivals have never met at Roland Garros, but Swiatek emerged the victor in their last two meetings on clay – in the finals of the Madrid and Italian Opens last season. 'It's going to be a tough match but I'm happy for the challenge,' the 24-year-old added. After starting sluggishly in her fourth-round win over former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina, where Swiatek found herself 6-1, 2-0 down before kicking into gear, she hit the ground running. Swiatek broke Svitolina's serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead, before outlasting her opponent in two lengthy, tightly-contested games to consolidate her advantage. The five-time Grand Slam winner then served out the opener to 15 on a gusty centre court in Paris. The pair exchanged consecutive breaks of serve early in the second set, but neither could seize the advantage until Swiatek forced the breakthrough at 5-5 with a powerful forehand down the line. Swiatek showed her killer instinct by holding again to 15 and sealing the win with back-to-back aces. AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
7 hours ago
- Business Times
Chinese travel more during Dragon Boat holiday but spending lags
[HONG KONG] Chinese people travelled more over the three-day Dragon Boat holiday this year, but spending remained below pre-pandemic levels, government data showed on Tuesday (Jun 3) – indicators that are closely watched as barometers of consumer confidence. Consumption in the world's second-largest economy has suffered amid sputtering growth and a prolonged property crisis, with uncertainty from the US-China trade war also weighing on consumer confidence. The latest data painted a mixed picture for China's consumer economy. Travellers took an estimated 119 million domestic journeys from Friday to Monday, up 5.7 per cent from the same holiday period last year, according to the Ministry for Tourism and Culture. Overall spending over the period rose to 42.73 billion yuan (S$7.7 billion), a year-on-year increase of 5.9 per cent, but the average amount spent per traveller was a little under 360 yuan, according to Reuters calculations, remaining stubbornly below 2019 levels of around 410 yuan per trip. The Dragon Boat Festival took place from May 31 to Jun 2 – and is celebrated throughout the country with local dragon boat races. Many people take the opportunity to have short holidays, crowding train stations and airports around the country. Cross-border journeys rose 2.7 per cent to 5.9 million, with 231,000 foreign nationals entering the country visa-free during the holiday, broadcaster CCTV said late on Monday. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up China has been expanding its visa policy, with citizens of 43 countries granted visa-free access, while visa-free transit for up to 240 hours in China is available for 54 countries. Rail lines saw the peak of return passenger flow on Jun 2, with authorities adding 1,279 trains to more than 11,000 passenger trains overall across the country, while road travel was up 3 per cent year on year, with 600 million car journeys recorded, mostly travelling short distances. Chinese also boosted spending on entertainment over the holiday, with cinema box office revenue reaching 460 million yuan, surpassing last year's 384 million yuan, according to data from online ticketing platform Maoyan. Tom Cruise's latest movie Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning topped charts, and generated 228 million yuan, half of the total revenue during the holiday period, which was seen as a positive indicator for the upcoming summer season. REUTERS
AsiaOne
8 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Thai actor Nonkul loses mother to cancer shortly before birthday, cancels fanmeet, Entertainment News
The mother of Thai actor Chanon Santinatornkul, also known as Nonkul, has died, he announced on Instagram last Sunday (June 1). The news preceded his 29th birthday on June 6, leading to the cancellation of his upcoming celebratory fanmeet on June 12. According to Thai media reports, the family released a statement, confirming that the elder Santinatornkul had lung cancer, but was under the care of doctors and "able to live a normal life". "On the day of the incident, Mum had a cough and started bleeding from it. Dad rushed her to the emergency department of the hospital immediately, but her heart stopped," the statement continued. "The medical team tried to save Mum's life, but in the end, she passed away peacefully." The family also shared her funeral arrangements from June 2 until the cremation on June 10. [embed] In footage from the funeral, Nonkul can be seen dressed solemnly in black, accompanied by his girlfriend, actress Aff Taksaorn Paksukcharern, 44. [embed] He also reshared Instagram Stories of the funeral hall, decorated in white, and group photos of the family, including his two sisters and their father, in front of the casket. [embed] [[nid:718174]] drimac@
