Zhang Yaodong no longer a Mediacorp actor

Earlier this month, new allegations accusing actor Zhang Yaodong, 46, of speaking negatively about Mediacorp began circulating on Chinese social media Xiaohongshu.

A Xiaohongshu user, who previously accused Zhang of fathering more children than his two daughters, alleged in a post that Zhang was an "ungrateful" person who apparently "badmouthed Mediacorp behind its back".

To support their claims, the Xiaohongshu user also uploaded an audio recording, in which a male-sounding voice could be heard saying in Mandarin: "The higher-ups deployed many fools to carry out projects".

However, it is noteworthy that throughout the recording, the person did not name Mediacorp, and the Xiaohongshu user did not provide further context to the recording.

The Xiaohongshu user also did not produce any evidence to prove that the person is Zhang.

Zhang, who has been in showbiz for over two decades, made his debut after competing in Mediacorp talent show "Star Search" in 2001.

Details of audio

In the audio recording uploaded by the Xiaohongshu user, the person said that they "would just read off whatever drama script that was handed" to them and "would not feel torn about it" because "Singapore's [drama] scripts are notoriously bad".

After the person talked about "the higher-ups", the Xiaohongshu user included a video clip showing Zhang thanking Mediacorp's senior management after winning the "Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes" award at The Star Awards 2024.

In the caption, the Xiaohongshu user said Zhang's remarks were "ironic" considering that he allegedly "called them fools".

The Xiaohongshu user then switched back to the audio recording, in which the person alleged that if they wanted to change a line in the script, they would "need to write a proposal".

"Who set the rules that lines cannot be changed? It's the scriptwriters. Nowadays, the scriptwriters have a lot of power. They could say things like, 'You actors have to listen to me,'" claimed the person in the recording.

They then complained that the scriptwriters never felt that it was their scripts that were problematic, adding, "A lot of scriptwriters in Singapore are really shallow".

Mediacorp no longer represents Zhang

In response to Mothership's queries regarding the allegations, a Mediacorp spokesperson said on Feb. 20 that the company could not comment as it "no longer represents" Zhang.

Earlier in January, a Mediacorp spokesperson told Zaobao that The Celebrity Agency, which manages Mediacorp actors, works with Zhang on a "project basis".

As of 8:45pm on Feb. 20, Zhang's profile has been removed from the agency's website.

Mothership has reached out to Zhang for comments.

Top images via Zhang Yaodong/Instagram