Eleanor Lee may be replaced with AI face swap in new Chinese drama, could cost up to S$3.6 million

Singaporean actress Eleanor Lee, 25, daughter of Mediacorp host Quan Yifeng, has been accused of insulting Chinese nationals in an audio clip.

She released a statement denying that the audio clip was of her.

The show she's in, "The Journey of Legend (赴山海)", has now reportedly removed all traces of Lee in its promotional materials and is rumoured to be considering digitally replacing her using AI face-swapping technology.

According to Chinese media, the rumours are that the production team might be looking to replace Lee with another actress through AI, though there is currently no official statement on this.

According to Shin Min, this might run up the bill by about 20 million yuan (S$3.62 million).

Her name is also believed to have been removed from the official cast list.

The new drama, in which Lee plays the second female lead role, was originally slated for a May 20 air date, but it is widely believed that the date will be pushed back.

The online furore started when Lee was accused of making derogatory remarks about Chinese nationals in an audio recording posted online by an alleged former assistant, though the speaker’s identity remains unconfirmed.

Lee has faced an onslaught of outrage following the allegations, with many Weibo users expressing their unhappiness.

She has also reportedly lost quite a lot of followers on her social media platforms, with her Douyin account losing 30,000 followers.

Lee denied the allegations in a statement. She said: 

"I was born in China and returned to the country when I was 16. As I turn 26 years old this year, I have spent almost half of my life in China.

I gained many opportunities and received much help here, and I was able to shine bright in a career I like.

I only have affection and gratitude for the land. I will never weaver in my position on any issues concerning China."

The practice of digitally swapping actors is not new.

Chinese actor Wang Dong was previously replaced by former Mediacorp actor Dai Xiangyu in Chinese drama A Date With The Future in 2023, following the former’s accusations of domestic violence.

Image from Lee's Instagram and Weibo