Sylvia Chan had some time to reflect and is finally breaking her silence on the controversy and abusive allegations. As a result, Night Owl Cinematics (NOC) and its staff have also been dragged into this mess.
Following NOC’s lawyer letter to anonymous Instagram account @sgcickenrice, Sylvia posted a lengthy apology while acknowledging some of her shortcomings and feeling ashamed over what had transpired.
Failed as a leader
In her statement, Sylvia admitted there have been instances where her emotions got the better of her, which in hindsight, painted her as unkind and rude. “My expressions may have been harsh. However, it was never my intention to upset anyone. I will learn to be more conscious about my choice of words. Moving forward, I can and I will do better,” she said. “I assumed that my behaviour were [sic] accepted fully by the people around me. Upon reflection, I may have failed to provide the safe space for my colleagues to give me feedback.”
Beef with Samantha Tan
In the screenshots that were leaked, it was disheartening to see the NOC co-founder and chief executive calling Samantha “f**king dumb”, “f**king annoying”, a “f**kface”, and even planning an “exit strategy” behind her back. Although Sylvia owned up to the fact that harsh language were used, she doesn’t think it was the case of her “bullying a subordinate”.
Samantha had been a contestant on NOC’s Knockout reality competition, where she won the grand prize, which included a full-time contract with the YouTube company. However, Sylvia was furious after finding out that Samantha had an existing 3-year bond with a government agency.
“In my anger, I made my sentiments clear so that other contestants, who would be able to join us as a full-time content creator, can have the opportunity,” she said. “Whatever I shared to my colleagues do not represent what I feel about her as a person but towards the situation.” Sylvia also claimed that they have since reconciled after Samantha reached out to her.
Moving Forward
While it is unclear whether Sylvia remains in the leadership position, the 32-year-old will be “removed from NOC’s lineup of artistes”. “I agree alongside with the leadership team, that as a talent and content creator, I do not deserve the current job opportunities NOC offers. Hence, I will take time to reflect,” she was quoted as saying.
Comments from the public
Someone brought up the point that if Sylvia felt remorse, why was the lawyer’s letter issued to @Sgcickenrice? Is it the case of “sorry-cause-I-got-caught”? To quote Vernon, the letter really “plummeted her reputation” and now the public are hesitant to sympathise with her anytime soon.
Instagram user @x3slayer pointed out that Sylvia has just removed herself from the talent roster but remains as the company’s CEO. “So much for acting like that’s a punishment and time to reflect (which sponsor even wants her in the video at this point),” IG user @mingrui.ch added.
It also seemed like Sylvia wasn’t being honest, as pointed out by Samantha…
Samantha Tan calls out alleged untruths in Sylvia apology statement
Samantha debunked Sylvia’s claims, explaining all 8 contestants had allegedly signed a 3-year talent contract before the reality series started filming. According to her, NOC’s lawyers had already reviewed her contract to ensure that the 2 contracts did not overlap. Apparently, all 8 of them were “granted the grand prize before filming began”.
In case you missed what’s been going on, get the full scoop here.
