Was The Cast Of Bling Empire Friends Before The Show?

Netflix's hit series Bling Empire gave audiences a peek behind the golden curtain into the lives of Asian-American elites in Los Angeles. Socialite and rumored royalty Christine Chiu and husband Dr. Gabriel Chiu wowed viewers with their over-the-top soirées, where Christine often went head-to-head with costar Anna Shay in a "who wore it best?" battle of the best diamonds. 

Fans became enamored with BFFs Kane Lim and Kevin Kreider, whose down-to-earth attitudes were quickly juxtaposed with lavish sneaker collections, mansions, and jet-setting. The love triangle between Kevin, Kelly Li Mi, and her Power Rangers boyfriend Andrew Gray pivoted the series from lavish shopping sprees to matters of the heart. It didn't help that Kelly and Andrew were on and off throughout their five-year relationship; per Page Six, the duo reportedly called it quits in March 2021 after the series aired. 

While all the drama and heartbreak on air feels real, Andrew is now claiming the series was fabricated. Keep scrolling to find out what cast members had to say about the friend group at the center of Bling Empire! 

Could this be Andrew Gray's revenge? After coming across as the villain of the series (an especially cringe fight between him and then-girlfriend Kelly Mi Li drew attention from friend group matriarch Anna Shay), Andrew first claimed in January 2021 that producers "manipulated" the footage to purposefully add to the onscreen drama. 

"What was captured on the show doesn't reflect our true relationship at all," Andrew told E! News. He continued that the series was a "set-up" and producers told him what to say. Andrew also stated he didn't know his costars other than Kane Lim prior to filming. By February 2021, Andrew was revealing even more on the podcast Behind the Velvet Rope. "This is an assembled cast," Andrew stated. "I'm the only non-Asian person on the show, with no friends and no family backing. I knew I was going to be the villain from Day 1." 

So what do his costars and producers have to say? Per Oprah Magazine, producers Jeff Jenkins and Brandon Panaligan apparently met the rest of the cast through their longtime friend Christine Chiu. Jenkins even claimed that Andrew introduced him to Kelly, who also separately knew Christine. "We brought our cameras into a world that was already there with rivalries and friendships and loyalties preexisting," Panaligan explained. Kane also told Hong Kong Tatler that the whole production was "credible." Seems like Andrew is on his own here in more ways than one!