Bling Empire is an American reality television series released on Netflix on January 15, 2021. The series focuses on the lives of wealthy, materialistic East and Southeast Asian Americans, socialites based in the Los Angeles area,[1] described as real-life Crazy Rich Asians.[2][3] It is the first American reality television series in which the main cast are all of East and Southeast Asian descent.[4]
| Bling Empire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality television |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 28–47 minutes |
| Production company | Jeff Jenkins Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | January 15, 2021 – October 5, 2022 |
| Related | |
| Bling Empire: New York | |
On March 10, 2021, Netflix renewed the series for a second season which premiered on May 13, 2022.[5][6] The third season premiered on October 5, 2022.[7] The sister Netflix series, Bling Empire: New York, launched in January 2023.[8][9] In April 2023, it was reported that Netflix decided to not go forward with the fourth season of this series and second season of the spin-off Bling Empire: New York.[10]
Cast
editMain
edit- Cherie Chan: Denim heiress and former singer. Engaged to Jessey, mother of Jadore and Jevon[11] Chan quit the series at the end of the second season due to a controversy within the cast
- Christine Chiu: Born in Taiwan, co-founder of Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery inc., philanthropist, and couture collector. Married to Gabriel, mother of 'Baby G'[12]
- Kevin Kreider: Born in South Korea but adopted and raised in Philadelphia, male model[13]
- Kim Lee: Raised by her Vietnamese mother, but searches for her father in season one, a DJ and former model[14]
- Kane Lim: Born in Singapore, a real estate developer, and investor with family interests in real estate, shipping, oil, and tankers[15]
- Kelly Mi Li: Born in China, a self-made entrepreneur, and film producer[16]
- Anna Shay: Part-Japanese, part-Russian socialite, whose fortune came from selling her father's company Pacific Architects and Engineers. Mother of Kenny[17]
- Jaime Xie: A fashion influencer and model. The eldest daughter of Chinese-American billionaire businessmen Ken Xie[18]
- Mimi Morris (season 2): Born in Vietnam. Married to Don[6]
- Dorothy Wang (season 2): The youngest daughter of Chinese-American businessman Roger Wang[6]
Recurring
edit- Gabriel Chiu: Co-founder and plastic surgeon at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery inc., who claims to be a 24th direct descendant of the Song emperor. Married to Christine, father of 'Baby G'
- Andrew Gray: Male model and an actor, who is best known for playing the Red Ranger in Power Rangers Megaforce. Makes a guest appearance during the last episode in the second season and the first episode in the final season
- Jessey Lee: Family business is in furniture. Engaged to Cherie, father of Jadore and Jevon. Lee quit the series at the end of the second series due to a controversy within the cast
- Guy Tang: Hairdresser and singer-songwriter. Married to Almar
Episodes
editSeries overview
editSeason 1 (2021)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Necklacegate 90210" | January 15, 2021 |
| 2 | 2 | "Tale of Two Trusts" | January 15, 2021 |
| 3 | 3 | "What's in Anna's Shower?" | January 15, 2021 |
| 4 | 4 | "Beverly Hills Heartbreak" | January 15, 2021 |
| 5 | 5 | "Private Lies" | January 15, 2021 |
| 6 | 6 | "The Other Side" | January 15, 2021 |
| 7 | 7 | "Kevin and Kane Take Charleston" | January 15, 2021 |
| 8 | 8 | "Will You Marry Me?" | January 15, 2021 |
Season 2 (2022)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "Diamonds And Deception" | May 13, 2022 |
| 10 | 2 | "Rumor Has It" | May 13, 2022 |
| 11 | 3 | "Adieu ma Chérie" | May 13, 2022 |
| 12 | 4 | "No Friend Zone" | May 13, 2022 |
| 13 | 5 | "From Glowup to Blowup" | May 13, 2022 |
| 14 | 6 | "Royalty Over Loyalty" | May 13, 2022 |
| 15 | 7 | "The Truth Hurts" | May 13, 2022 |
| 16 | 8 | "Battle Royale" | May 13, 2022 |
Season 3 (2022)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | "Blast From the Past" | October 5, 2022 |
| 18 | 2 | "Gossip Guy" | October 5, 2022 |
| 19 | 3 | "Envy, Intrigue, and Escapes" | October 5, 2022 |
| 20 | 4 | "Making Up in Malibu" | October 5, 2022 |
| 21 | 5 | "There's Something About Janice" | October 5, 2022 |
| 22 | 6 | "Achy Reiki Heart" | October 5, 2022 |
| 23 | 7 | "Crash and Burn" | October 5, 2022 |
| 24 | 8 | "The Truth About Kim" | October 5, 2022 |
| 25 | 9 | "Kevin in Paris" | October 5, 2022 |
| 26 | 10 | "The One That Got Away" | October 5, 2022 |
Reception
editFor the first season, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Bling Empire may be another celebration of lavish wealth, but the focus on an Asian American cast gives this reality program an intriguing layer of cultural celebration."[19]
Diane Gordon of TV Guide thought the television series was more than the "grotesque opulence" that it depicted, with compelling characters among the cast, some of whom were exploring their identity.[20] Eilidh Hargreaves of The Telegraph found the "epic rivalries", "ridiculous" problems, wild whims, "self-serving" philosophy of the main characters to be compulsive viewing and "deliciously odious to observe".[21]
Spin-off
editIn October 2022, Netflix announced a New York City-set spin-off series Bling Empire: New York. It stars Dorothy Wang, who was a cast member in season 2 of the original series.[22][23] The spin-off was released on January 20, 2023.[24]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Shenton, Zoe (January 21, 2021). "The net worth of the Bling Empire cast is going to blow your mind". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ Leong, Zue Wei (January 26, 2021). ""Bling Empire"'s Top 5 Most Outrageous Moments". Tatler Asia. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ Thomas, Carla (January 7, 2021). "Missing Crazy Rich Asians? Watch Netflix's new reality show Bling Empire, following billionaire heiress Jaime Xie, fashionista Christine Chiu and more of LA's ultra-rich". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ Adegoke, Yomi (January 21, 2021). "Bling Empire: the super-rich reality show that makes Selling Sunset look cheap". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ White, Peter (March 10, 2021). "'Selling Sunset' & 'Bling Empire' Renewed At Netflix, Plus New Reality Shows From Adam DiVello & Jeff Jenkins". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c Trainor, Daniel (April 15, 2022). "Meet Bling Empire's 2 New Cast Members For Season 2". E! Online. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ Walsh, Charlotte (September 7, 2022). "Bling Empire Season 3 Officially Has a Premiere Date". E! Online. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
- ^ Vanessa Wong (January 20, 2023). "Bling Empire: New York Thinks Social Striving Is Tacky". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ Jessica Cullen (January 20, 2023). "Bling Empire: New York season 2's expected release date, cast and more". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (April 19, 2023). "'Bling Empire' & New York Spinoff Not Returning At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ Lam, Doris; Soriano, Jianne (January 18, 2021). "Meet The Cast of "Bling Empire", Netflix's New Reality Show On LA's Wealthy Asians". Tatler. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ "Inside the Competitive Sport of Haute Couture". Harper's Bazaar. October 3, 2019. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ Jones, Marcus (January 15, 2021). "Bling Empire star Kevin Kreider can't wait to prove people wrong for calling the show 'tone deaf'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ Pham, Jason (January 22, 2021). "Does Kim From 'Bling Empire' Find Her Dad? It's Not the Happy Ending She Hoped For". Yahoo! Life. Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "'Bling Empire' on Netflix: everything we know about Singaporean cast member Kane Lim". NME. January 22, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ Pyne, Irene (January 22, 2021). "Is Bling Empire's Andrew Gray still dating Kelly Mi Li? 5 things to know about the controversial Netflix reality star, model and Red Power Ranger (yes, really)". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ Foussianes, Chloe (January 23, 2021). "Bling Empire's Anna Shay Has Arrived. It's About Time". Town & Country. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ Daswani, Kavita (February 24, 2020). "From horses to haute couture, billionaire's daughter Jaime Xie is a fashion influencer in the making". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- ^ "Bling Empire: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
- ^ Gordon, Diane (January 15, 2021). "Bling Empire Review: So Much More Than a Crazy Rich Asians Knockoff". TV Guide. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^ Hargreaves, Eilidh (20 January 2021). "Bling Empire shows the extravagances of LA's 'Crazy Rich Asians' – and I can't stop watching it". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ White, Peter (October 4, 2022). "Netflix Confirms 'Bling Empire' Spinoff Set In New York". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
- ^ De Pacina, Michelle (October 5, 2022). "Netflix announces 'Bling Empire: New York' spin-off". NextShark. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ Trainor, Daniel (December 13, 2022). "Bling Empire: New York Has a Premiere Date & a Hilarious New Sneak Peek Starring Dorothy Wang". E! Online. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
External links
edit- Bling Empire on Netflix
- Bling Empire at IMDb
