Once a close-knit trio in the Singapore entertainment scene, the bond between ex-celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee, local TV host Quan Yifeng, and her daughter, China-based actress Eleanor Lee, has been unravelling in the public eye — making headlines once again in recent weeks.

Speculation about a fallout first surfaced in 2020, when eagle-eyed fans noticed that Lee, 54, was absent from goddaughter Eleanor’s 21st birthday party and left out of her lengthy Instagram tribute that October. 

The feud was thrust back into the spotlight following Lee’s six-hour Facebook Live on May 13, during which he confirmed that he had cut ties with the mother-daughter duo, citing disagreements related to live-stream sales he and Quan, 51, did together. 

Shortly after, Quan gave Lianhe Zaobao an interview on May 15 to respond to his claims and offer her side of the story.

Most recently, local actor Mark Lee weighed in on their feud, urging close friend Addy Lee, with whom he used to run a hair salon, not to burn bridges with or be too harsh on Quan. Both Lees had discussed the saga during dinner in Thailand on May 16, with Addy smiling after hearing Mark’s thoughts and not responding directly.

While netizens online scramble to piece together what went down behind closed doors, here’s everything we know about the situation thus far — and how the public is reacting.

Addy Lee is a Malaysia-born, ex-celebrity hairstylist turned rabbit breeder in Bangkok. He is former BFFs with Quan Yifeng and is godfather to her daughter, Eleanor Lee.

Quan Yifeng is a Mediacorp host and actress, who became a household name thanks to her acerbic wit. She was married to fellow Singaporean actor, Peter Yu, from 1998 to 2009, with whom she had daughter Eleanor with. 

Eleanor Lee is a 25-year-old actress and singer based in China. She’s been in popular Chinese shows such as The Big Boss, Fake Princess, and My Love, Enlighten Me. 

Estranged from her biological father Peter Yu, Eleanor viewed Lee as a father figure for many years.

She adopted the surname “Lee” after her mother consulted a fortune teller, who suggested it would make for a stronger stage name. 

In a clip which went viral on Chinese social media Weibo, a woman, believed to be Eleanor, could be heard saying in Mandarin, “[...] because most Chinese nationals are idiots, most of them are”.

The poor-quality 31-second clip was posted by an anonymous user who claimed to be Eleanor’s former assistant. 

In the recording, which was accompanied by a lot of background noises, the woman could also be heard saying that she is “doing this not for fame, but for money”.

While the post did not provide any evidence to prove that the person speaking in the recording was indeed Eleanor, many netizens took to social media to express their disappointment and anger towards the actress.

Some urged her to address the rumours while others expressed their dissatisfaction by asking her to leave China. 

Following the backlash over her alleged remarks, the star took to Weibo, Instagram, and Facebook to clear the air and deny the allegations.

“Im sorry to have caused so much controversy and taken up public resources,” wrote Eleanor in Mandarin. 

She also explained her delay in responding to the accusations: “I didn’t come forward in the first instance because we are also sorting out the facts, hoping to give a satisfactory answer to people who care about me. I will use my own actions to prove my attitude, and welcome everyone to supervise me in the future.”

Eleanor then expressed her gratitude to the country where she built her career. She mentioned that she has spent nearly half her life in China after moving there at 16. 

She said: “I have received many opportunities and (much) assistance here, and have been able to shine in my favourite career. 

“I am completely in love with and grateful for this land, and I will never waver in any of my stances on any issue related to China.”

After Eleanor’s scandal erupted, Lee put up a Facebook post, titled “Has retribution come to this mother-daughter pair?”.

While he didn’t name Eleanor or Quan, he did mention a goddaughter, which left fans with little doubt about whom he was addressing. 

In the post, Lee recounted, in Mandarin, bringing his goddaughter up “since she was a little girl”.

He claimed that he had helped launch her career in the Chinese market, when he secured her a high-profile Apple ad.

He expressed hurt over her silence after the fallout with her mother, writing: “She didn’t even call me to ask how I was after that spat with her mother, when I was at my lowest and unhappiest… But now we finally see retribution in action.”

He followed up with a two-minute video message, speaking directly to camera: “Don’t tell lies. Don’t treat people like dogs. Don’t control others. Don’t speak untruths…Your daughter finally experienced retribution.”

Last but not least, he promised fans a tell-all livestream scheduled for May 13 at 9PM.

In Lee’s six-hour livestream, he disclosed that he had indeed fallen out with Quan and her daughter, over disagreements about livestream sales they had done together.

Although they reportedly earned more than $300,000 a month, Lee claimed tensions emerged when Quan grew frustrated with the same product lineup and began acting out during livestreams by allegedly ignoring audience questions. 

Adding to the strain, Lee said that his assistant told him Quan and Eleanor had complained privately about him, suggesting he was using their popularity to boost his livestream sales. 

At the time, they were staying with him. But after an emotional breakdown, Lee said Quan messaged him that they would be moving out, since he seemed uninterested in seeing or speaking to them.

He replied, saying that he felt hurt by her actions.

According to Lee, this was the last time they communicated.

Reflecting on the fallout, he said: “To be honest, I regret getting to know them… They are ingrates. It’s been four years and I haven’t heard a peep from them.”

In an exclusive interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Quan responded to Lee’s claims that she had abandoned him at his lowest, saying she didn’t know he was having financial difficulties at the time: “He owned a $3 million property, drove a luxury car, and had several assistants then.

“He never told me he was in financial trouble.”

Quan also offered her side of the story, recounting how tired she felt during their joint livestreams at night, which she did on top of working more than 10 hours hosting shows at her day job. She added that the longest livestream session lasted 14 straight hours.

However, she said this wasn’t the main reason she quit livestreaming with Lee.

Quan, a Mediacorp artiste, said her management found it inappropriate for her to earn a side income from the livestream while still under contract. She also disputed Lee’s claims that they earned more than $300,000 a month, clarifying that they made $400,000 over three months instead.

Additionally, Quan said that she felt guilty selling products Lee had developed as she did not understand them fully and her 260,000 Facebook followers were buying in bulk just to support her.

Quan declared that this interview will be the last time she would comment on her relationship with Lee, as she believes responding to him publicly will only prolong the back-and-forth.

In the aftermath of all these allegations and revelations, netizens have been divided on the matter. 

Following Eleanor’s scandal, one TikTok user pointed out that it was ironic for her to allegedly make derogatory comments about China despite it being the source of her income.

Some users even went the extra mile to express their dissatisfaction through boycotting a brand both Eleanor and her mother had endorsed back in April.

On Facebook, user Serene Tan left a comment of support for Lee under Quan’s post of her Lianhe Zaobao interview.

Under the same post, another user expressed their fervent support for Quan. 

On Reddit, a now-deleted comment questioned Lee’s motivation in conducting his Facebook livestream. The user pointed out that Lee barely shared any “incriminating matters as much as he mentioned he would”. 

Meanwhile, user Kervin Seng acknowledged that a sole party isn’t to blame for the drama and urged Quan under her Facebook post to reflect on her actions too. 

User Joey Tan, on the other hand, said that while Lee may have been acting out of emotion, he remained factual about their situation. She also commended Quan for her classy reply to Lee’s claims. 

As of May 21 2025, there has been no public reconciliation between the trio.

While some netizens have taken sides, passionately defending the party they believe is in the right, many others simply hope the trio can mend their relationship — or at least bring the public back-and-forth to a close.