Things aren’t looking good for Malaysian-born actor Zhang Yaodong (张耀栋). After being exposed for fathering two daughters out of wedlock, the Singapore-based star has now been dropped by his talent agency.
Previously, the actor was caught up in a scandal which led him to admit to having fathered two daughters with an unnamed woman. While that scandal had yet to subside, there are now new allegations that the actor had been bad-mouthing his agency, Mediacorp, behind its back. The media company has represented Zhang Yaodong under its in-house artist management unit, The Celebrity Agency, since 2001.
The accusations came from the same XiaoHongShu user who previously accused Zhang Yaodong of fathering more children besides his two daughters. The XiaoHongShu user claimed the actor had bad-mouthed Mediacorp and its higher-ups, saying things like, “The higher-ups deployed many fools to carry out projects.”. The account also shared an audio clip of a man, who they claimed to be Zhang Yaodong, speaking badly about his agency.
However, the user didn’t produce evidence to prove the man in the audio was the 47-year-old star. Singaporean news outlets have since reached out to Mediacorp for a response. The media company then revealed that it no longer represents the actor and, thus, is unable to comment on the issue. The agency also removed Zhang Yaodong’s profile from its website on 20th February 2025 (Thursday).
While Mediacorp never disclosed the reason for the actor’s termination, it’s believed that his recent scandals played a role. The agency previously spoke to news outlets, saying it constantly reminds its artists that they are seen as role models and should conduct themselves responsibly. Meanwhile, Zhang Yaodong has yet to comment on the new accusations and his termination.
We’re sure Mediacorp and The Celebrity Agency have reasons for terminating Zhang Yaodong after more than two decades. Whatever the issue may be, we wish the best for both parties. What are your thoughts on this?
Sources: China Press, MothershipSG
