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

Netflix pulled the plug on Bling Empire and its spin-off Bling Empire: New York earlier this year.

But Leah Qin – who starred in the original show in LA – was “not surprised” about the cancellation, blaming “fake fabricated drama” for the downfall.

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

“There have been quite a few successful Asian films in Hollywood lately. Asian Americans are great. Instead of the glamor and fake made-up drama, I think the public would like to see a show about how we got there.”

Leah (with 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

Leah further discussed Bling Empire with DailyMail.com, saying: “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 the show hasn’t been renewed.”

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

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

“It’s a very complicated feeling for me. I have high hopes for what the show showed leading Asian American lives.

“Because I grew up with no money, we put a lot of sweat and effort into getting where we are today. I would have liked to see a piece of this. To me it’s a shame because there were a lot of meaningful conversations we had while filming.

‘I enjoyed filming, but we couldn’t control how it got on TV. People edited it so that it was all twisted.”

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

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

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

Sadly, Leah’s co-star Anna Shay (pictured) passed away last week from a stroke aged 62, making her “realize that your health and your happiness are the most important things ever”

DailyMail.com has reached out to Netflix for comment.

Unfortunately, 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 this week and she is currently by his side in China.

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

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

“Anna was a caring lady who cared about others, but she was struggling herself and had her own things to deal with.”

Leah said she has already put plans in motion to fight the stereotypes – with her own reality show showing the “real” lives of Asians who are “struggling” to achieve success and wealth 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 that everyone is googleable. A lot of them are from San Francisco,” she said.

The self-made real estate tycoon (pictured in June with other cast members) said: “I enjoyed filming it, but how it appeared on TV was beyond our control. People edited it like that’

“I think this will be inspiring to the audience. At the moment, there are many shows that show the flashy life and money. There are quite a number of people whose daily life is not like that.’

Leah asked, “Would you like to see a man wearing glasses who spent the last ten years building a technology company? What if this guy has a mansion and cars, but as soon as he opens his mouth, girls run away?’

“I grew up with no money and had to fight to survive. It takes a lot more sweat and effort to get to where we are today. I’m going to show some of this.’

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

“She later transferred her career to the United States where she is now thriving as a businesswoman,” it continued.