Ian Fang Says He and Rebecca Lim Are Still “Best Friends”

Ian Fang slowly approaches 8days.sg with a stoic expression on his face and two minders by his side. “How are you?” we ask him. “Okay,” he replies calmly, as he slinks into a chair next to us.

We last spoke to the 29-year-old actor back in April about the passing of his beloved grandmother. Then he was pensive and somber but he had sounded optimistic about the future. Who would know that just a mere two weeks later, his life would be turned topsy-turvy by the reputation-crushing leaked DMs scandal between him and Carrie Wong.

The usually cool and chillax actor now appears a tad unnerved at the prospect of doing an interview when we meet him after his imaging session for upcoming Ch 8 drama Happy Prince. While he used to be chatty and engaging, he now seems tentative with his answers. It could also be because he knows that whatever he says now (especially about that topic) may be misconstrued or blown up for the headlines the next day. Still, he takes it all in his stride and tries his best to answer our questions anyway, especially those about the current status of his relationship with Rebecca Lim, to whom he’s been romantically linked.

Happy Prince tells the story of a guy (played by Romeo Tan) with Tourette’s syndrome trying to live his best life despite the obstacles. In the drama, which also stars Paige Chua and Pan Lingling, Ian plays Romeo’s pal, “a helpful guy who will do anything for cash except for things he is not supposed to do, like come between people’s marriages”.

8 DAYS: The last time we spoke, you said that you were planning to visit your grandmother’s altar in Shanghai. And you eventually posted about the trip on Instagram. How was that experience for you?
IAN FANG: I cried lor. I stayed for about three days… Actually, I wasn’t supposed to be holding her picture because of some Chinese superstition… But I’m not really sure about that… Anyway, I met with my mum and had dinner with her in my grandmother’s house. We drank, talked and it felt like my grandmother was still there.

Did you talk to your mum about the scandal?
My mum didn’t really know about it ‘cos she was overseas at that time. She’s been in poor health and my grandmother had just passed so I didn’t want to worry her. Eventually she found out ‘cos her friend texted her about it. She called and messaged me to ask about things.

What did she say?
Um… She gave me a lot of support. That’s all I will say.

Did you read all the news reports about the scandal?
I inadvertently saw them. I couldn’t avoid them. If I could, I would choose not to read them ’cos I have other things to do. I still need to manage [my restaurant] House of Mu, prepare for my roles… There are many activities lined up for me. I also try to avoid those nasty comments. But if I happen to see, then no choice lor.
Are you and Carrie still in contact?
Nope.
Are you guys still friends?
I don’t know. We are all colleagues. I wish her well and all the best.
What about Rebecca?
(Looks surprised) What do you mean by that? Of course we are still friends. Best friends!
How did she react to the scandal?
As a friend, no matter what you’ve done, they’ll always help you. Only at your deepest, darkest period, will you know who your true friend is. That’s all.

What lessons have you learnt from this incident?
(Pauses) Um… No comment. I’m not saying that there’s no lesson to be learnt… I just don’t wish to answer this.
You guys reported the leak to the police. Any updates on that?
Oh, I’m not supposed to answer this because it has been handed over to the police.
Has the incident changed the way you use Instagram?
Hmm life goes on. I am still updating my Instagram for work and my fans.
Are you also more cautious now about sending DMs?
(Pauses) I’ll definitely be more cautious… But I’ll just post pictures for now. I don’t really read my comments much anymore.
How do you intend to move on from the incident?
I just wish to focus more on my work, and I’m grateful for the people who support me and did not give up on me. There may be a lot of comments going on regarding this whole thing… But I've got a lot of support lah. So yeah, I just want to do my work properly. I’ll let my work do the talking.

Happy Prince premieres Jan 15 2020, 9pm on Ch 8. You can also catch it first on Toggle from Jan 6 2020.