Hong Kong actress Stephy Tang’s (鄧麗欣) mainland Chinese television drama, The Last Cook (末代廚娘), which was filmed in 2019, finally premiered five years later on May 27, 2024. This historical drama features Hong Kong stars Myolie Wu and Stephy Tang in supporting roles. However, the show has drawn backlash due to Stephy’s participation as she was accused of having pro-independence views in the past. This has led Stephy to issue a statement on Weibo saying, “Hong Kong is an inseparable part of China.”
Stephy Tang’s Statement on Weibo
“I, Stephy Tang, was born and raised in Hong Kong, China. I wholeheartedly support and uphold that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an inseparable part of the People’s Republic of China.
Regardless of the past, present, or future, I am committed to promoting cultural exchange between Hong Kong and mainland China. Online, certain individuals have excessively interpreted my interviews and deliberately distorted my social media comments, which saddens me deeply. I have always believed in the kindness and friendliness among people and do not wish to see anyone using these statements to harm others. Misrepresenting my recognition of Hong Kong’s status and fabricating my political stance to create a buzz is unacceptable.
The baseless reports generated through excessive interpretation and piecing together of news are pure nonsense. I hope the public will not believe in rumors. I reserve all legal rights to pursue accountability and set the record straight.
This is my official statement. Thank you.”
Subsequently Removed from the Show’s Promos
Despite her statement, Chinese Netizens questioned Stephy Tang’s sincerity, suggesting that her lengthy post was merely an attempt to continue profiting from the mainland market. Some even argued that if she truly wanted to express her stance, she should do so on her international social media accounts, rather than explaining herself only within mainland China.
Under mounting pressure, it appears the drama’s production team has adjusted their promotional strategy, removing all mentions, text, and images related to Stephy Tang on their official social media. Although the series continues to air, Stephy Tang has been absent from the promotional materials.
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Lisa
I have always believed HK is part of China. that he Treaty of Nanking, subsequent treaties, and modifications, were extremely unfair to China. The Opium wars was a dark time for the country. But this is exactly what I mean in the other post with Wallace that even if an artist subsequently makes a statement along the lines of what netizens want, they get accused of being performative and just wanting money. I feel like you can do no wrong and even a slight misstep that could be misconstrued as “pro-independence”, you get attacked by a swarm of people.
Anon
It’s the artiste’s choice how he or she wants to respond and for what purpose. They are celebrities, and they do earn their money from the public love and support. That is a fact. That’s why even poor actors / actresses can be highly popular and expensive to hire. This is in direct relation to their level of popularity, not their ability to act. They are subject to public scrutiny and they know it. They know the score.
One never know what issue next would trigger a backlash – it could be their love interest, or an errant parent or sibling or past behavior in school or the clothes they wear a particular day or their parenting skills.
I would suggest no need to get upset on the celebrity’s behalf. Most of these blow over after a while. Except those guilty of crimes.