Bling Empire’s Leah Qin says ‘fake drama’ that ‘perpetuated Asian stereotypes’ caused cancelation

Netflix unplugged Bling Empire and its spin-off Bling Empire: New York earlier this year.

But Leah Qin – who starred on the original show in Los Angeles – was “not surprised” at its cancellation, blaming “fake made-up drama” for its demise.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the stunning 26-year-old real estate investor explained, “Bling Empire only showed glamor and perpetuated Asian stereotypes. It was not reality.

“Recently, there have been a fair amount of successful Asian movies in Hollywood. Asian Americans are amazing. Instead of glamor and made up fake drama, I think audiences would love to see a show about how we got here.

Leah (with the Bling cast – left to right – Don Morris, Mimi Morris, Christine Alexandra Chiu, Gabriel Chiu, Devon Diep and Kevin Kreider) says the show “perpetuated Asian stereotypes”

“I know people liked the first season of the show. Not so much two and season three,’ Leah said of the now-cancelled Netflix series.

Discussing Bling Empire in more detail with DailyMail.com, Leah said: “I know people liked the first season of the show. Not so much two and season three. I’m not surprised. I’m not at all surprised that the show hasn’t been renewed.

The hit show, which ran for three seasons on Netflix, featured an all-Asian cast. It followed a group of super-rich Asian Americans as they navigated through life.

According to Leah: “There are multiple reasons [why the show was not renewed]. I like authentic stuff and of course the drama could be more real. I don’t like drama and the show was just that.

“It’s a very complicated feeling for me. I have good expectations that the show presented Asian American lives.

“Because I grew up penniless, we put in a lot of sweat and effort to get to where we are today. I would have liked to see some of that. For me, that’s unfortunate because there were a lot of meaningful conversations that we had when we were filming.

“I enjoyed filming, but how it looked on TV was out of our control. People modified it so much that it was completely twisted.

She continued, “Right now, there are a lot of shows that showcase the flashy life. There are some that look flashy. In the real world, there are a lot of people whose daily life is not about showing people how much money they have.

Looking back, Leah said acting in Bling was a “learning process.”

Leah (pictured in 2022) told DailyMail.com: ‘Instead of the glamor and made up faux drama, I think audiences would love to see a show about how we got here’

Sadly, Leah’s co-star Anna Shay (pictured) died last week of a stroke aged 62 which made her ‘realize that your health and happiness are the most important things important that are”.

DailyMail.com has contacted Netflix for comment.

Sadly, Leah’s co-star Anna Shay passed away last week from a stroke at the age of 62.

Adding to Leah’s turmoil, her own father also suffered a stroke earlier in the week and she is currently by his side in China.

“Anna’s passing made me realize that your health and happiness are the most important things ever,” she told DailyMail.com.

“It’s heartbreaking for friends and family, but everyone is responsible for their own lives. I think Bling also had to show the struggle.

“Anna was a caring woman who cared about others, but struggled and had her own affairs to manage.”

Leah said she has already put plans in place to challenge stereotypes – with her own reality show which shows the ‘real’ lives of Asians ‘struggling’ to succeed and become wealthy in America.

“My own show is about entrepreneurs. They have their drama, but they are leaders. I can’t tell you the cast, but I can tell you everyone is googleable. A lot of them are from San Francisco,” she said.

The self-made property tycoon (pictured in June with other cast members) said: ‘I enjoyed filming it, but how it came across on TV was out of our control. People edited it so much’

“I think it’s going to be inspiring for the public. Right now, there are a lot of shows that showcase life and flashy money. There are a good number of people whose daily life is not like that.

Leah asked: ‘Do you want to see a guy wearing glasses and having spent the last ten years building a tech company? What if this guy has a mansion and cars but as soon as he opens his mouth, the girls run away?

“I grew up without money and had to struggle to survive. It takes a lot more sweat and effort to get to where we are today. I will show part of it.

According to her IMDb, Leah created her own wealth as a “real estate developer who started her career in China where she worked for some of the country’s top real estate developers.”

“She then moved her career to the United States where she now thrives as a businesswoman,” he continued.