Former Singaporean celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee went live on Facebook on May 13 to reveal what he claims are the “real stories” about well-known host Quan Yifeng and her daughter, actress Eleanor Lee. This comes after Eleanor was recently embroiled in a controversy involving an audio clip allegedly insulting Chinese people.
Lee, who is currently in Bangkok, had already posted three cryptic Facebook updates before the livestream. Without naming names, he wrote phrases like “these two women” and “karma has come,” alluding to past incidents where he helped Eleanor land a major Apple advertisement deal — remarks clearly aimed at Quan and her daughter.
Claimed Betrayal & Financial Support
During the livestream, Lee disclosed he was battling depression and had to take medication. He explained that he chose to speak out after seeing his photo being circulated online alongside Quan and Eleanor.
“I won’t defend her. I don’t want to have anything to do with them anymore,” he said.
Lee accused the mother-daughter pair of being ungrateful and cutting him off after rising to fame. He claimed he once helped raise Eleanor, paid for her international school fees, took her to Europe, bought luxury goods for her, and even used his connections in China to kickstart her career.
Despite all that, Lee said Eleanor never gave him a single cent or even treated him to a meal after she became famous.
When asked whether the controversial audio was Eleanor’s voice, Lee said, “No comment.” As for past rumours of Eleanor bullying schoolmates, Lee said he never heard about it and insisted he was strict with her, always teaching her to be polite.
Quan Yifeng Responded in 2020
Back in 2020, Quan Yifeng had addressed their falling-out in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao. She confirmed that Eleanor had called Lee “dad” and even knelt to thank him during her 14th birthday party organised by Lee. However, Quan explained that a fortune teller had advised using “Lee” as Eleanor’s stage surname because it would bring more success.
“I actually wanted to use ‘Quan’, but the master said it was too heavy for my daughter to bear. When he chose ‘Lee’, I secretly rejoiced — since it was Addy Lee’s surname anyway.”
She also clarified that Eleanor had recognised Lee as her godfather since birth, not just at the party.
Rolex Gifts & Business Fallout
Lee recounted that when he first moved from Malaysia to Singapore, Quan strongly recommended him, and he secured a lot of work. He said their relationship was like family, and once even bought her a Rolex watch with his earnings.
“When she was broke after giving birth, she pawned that same Rolex I gave her,” he said.
Despite acknowledging that he owed his early success to Quan, he added, “She helped me, but she also harmed me. I really regret getting involved with them.”
Lee claimed they worked together on livestreaming during the COVID-19 pandemic, earning over S$300,000 in just over a month. However, he accused Quan of later acting like a diva, putting on a sour face during livestreams, and privately accusing him of using her name for profit.
He felt that Quan, being a top TV host, couldn’t lower herself to doing livestreams.
Accusations of Backstabbing
Lee further alleged that Quan and Eleanor once stayed in his home with their respective partners. After a falling-out during their livestream partnership, the mother and daughter moved out, and a week later, showed up at a rival salon run by his competitor, David Gan.
He said Eleanor even thanked Gan for “saving her hair,” implying Lee’s own staff had messed it up.
“I feel very sad… why did I let myself be controlled by these two women? They just left without a word and never called in four years. Wouldn’t you feel heartbroken?”
Timeline of Events
May 12 (Monday):
Lee posted on Facebook, hinting at his past help in getting Eleanor an Apple ad, and accused the mother-daughter pair of cutting ties with him after a falling out. He teased an upcoming livestream, saying, “karma has come.”
That night, he uploaded screenshots of a WeChat conversation with someone claiming to be from Chinese entertainment company H&R Century. The person said the controversial audio was edited by Eleanor’s former assistant and urged Lee not to “add fuel to the fire.” Lee questioned, “Is this a warning?”
May 13 (Tuesday):
Lee reminded followers of the livestream that night. At 9pm, he went live and made the accusations.
May 14 (Wednesday):
Li announced another livestream at 8:30 p.m., saying, “It’s all about money. No money, no relationship?” He also claimed someone else tried to warn him again.
