Last year, Malaysian-born singer Namewee (黄明志) faced backlash for his insensitive April Fools’ prank where he pretended to be dead. Unfortunately, it seems the controversial star is sticking with the same prank this year – but this time, receiving more backlash.
On 1st April 2025 (Tuesday), Namewee took to social media to post an image that depicts a news report from “8TV Mandarin News” about his supposed death. At first glance, the image seems realistic since it shows the news show’s two anchors, Tan Chia Yong and Oscar Too. Additionally, the 8TV logo and programme name are apparent in the top left corner of the picture.
Thankfully, many netizens were quick to realise that the image was fake and that the news show didn’t report anything about Namewee’s “death”. Unfortunately for the 41-year-old, most netizens didn’t find the post amusing, instead slamming him for the insensitive prank. Many also brought up his similar prank last year, where he did an elaborate “funeral” for a music video.
Netizens weren’t the only ones unhappy with Namewee’s prank. After the post went viral, “8TV Mandarin News” released a statement to denounce the prank, clarifying that they have never reported any news regarding the star’s “death”. The news programme also announced its intention to take legal action against Namewee, accusing him of copyright infringement and using the anchors’ images without consent.
Namewee has since responded to the new show’s statement, arguing that he didn’t infringe on the show’s rights nor the portrait rights of the two news anchors. The singer also stressed that he didn’t make a profit with his prank, adding that the image was merely a “secondary creation”. Netizens showed mixed reactions to the issue, but the majority voiced support for “8TV Mandarin News”.
As of reporting, there are no updates on whether 8TV and “8TV Mandarin News” will proceed with legal action against Namewee. What are your thoughts on this?
Sources: China Press (1)(2)(3), Facebook (1)(2)
