Michelle Ye Leaves a Business Dinner After Being Forced to Drink
Actress-producer Michelle Ye (葉璇) has been quite a controversial star lately, and losing a defamation lawsuit is just one of the many scandals that have plagued Michelle’s career ever since she moved her TV career from Hong Kong to China.
The former TVB actress didn’t stay quiet for long after losing the lawsuit and apologizing for her past behavior. On Weibo yesterday, she shared with fans about an unfortunate experience she had while having a dinner with several businessmen. She said the man had yelled at her and was disrespectful to her for an entire hour before the police intervened.
Michelle said, “Can anyone else relate to this? Sitting with a table of leaders and the shopping mall’s chairman spent an entire hour trying to get me to drink. I politely refused, saying that I don’t drink, but he still continued, even yelling at me. I got up and left the table without eating or drinking. Will I even be able to go back to that shopping mall anymore?”
After some more probing, it turns out that it was Michelle’s classmate who had invited her to the business dinner. A policeman nearby witnessed the altercation and reprimanded the businessman. Michelle found the businessman’s actions extremely shameful, and she believed that he had ulterior motives in getting her drunk. “He’s a scumbag,” said Michelle.
Due to recent controversial events, there has been discussion that the former beauty queen has been losing fans, but after this incident, many netizens have gone on to show their support for Michelle.
Source: On.cc
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
I used to like Michelle the most out of all TVB actresses and thought she was the prettiest but her behaviour recently has been rude and thuggish at best…
@jimmyszeto I don’t think this incident is rude of her; she’s just sticking up for herself. But for the other cases, she’s been really obnoxious about them. I think the fame has gotten to her head and she thinks she’s a bigshot now.
@coralie
Michelle’s language is vulgar at best. Think the money she earned after leaving TVB really went to her head.People who feels always needing to post to show off are really insecure people…
@jimmyszeto I never find her as pretty but I think Ella Koon are much prettier.
@cutie777
If you ask most men, it isn’t even a contest. Michelle easier prettier. Still not even close to Irene Wan though. Strange that my favourite celebrities are Deric Wan and Irene Wan…
She’s a scumbag herself, it’s karma.
Just another incident to try to tedeem her fans’ support….
@stars1
In the mainland, getting pestered to drink by businessmen is very normal behaviour. It’s disrespectful not to drink a sip…
I think she’s right not to accept that drink. If he had no other motives then he wouldn’t try and enforce the drink. Don’t want her to be another case like ‘Y… M.’.
@jd33 it’s a difference of culture. You know how you go to an Asian parent’s house and they always offer you food or drinks? It’s the same thing here. Drinking is part of a culture in China. People drink alcohol like its water in China. They drink during lunch, dinner, after dinner, karoke, midnight, etc. It’s kind of rude to not drink alcohol when its offered just like its rude to not accept food/drinks from an Asian parent when you are visiting.
@lianna thank you for your reply. But I’m someone who don’t drink, the smell of alcohol makes me sick. So if I was offered a drink I would refuse it, and if someone insist I drink with me constantly saying “no thank you” I would be annoyed if they continue to pester me. Food is a different story, even tho you’re not hungry at the time you’ll still nibble to be polite, I’ll be happy to accept food even if I’ve eaten because I love food. But alcohol will be no. So I can understand Michelle refusing the drink.
@jd33
same here. I don’t drink and have never drank a pint in my life. Will get sick probably after 2 shots of vodka. However, I know this and would never attend a business deal meal with a Chinese businessman because there will be no way I’ll be able to get away with the deal done without drinking…
@jd33
If there is a motive everytime a chinese businessman persists in you having a drink then all the chinese businessmen in China would be arrested for suspected drugging/potential rape. Everyone knows that it is disrespectful in China if you refuse to drink a sip after being requested. Then to randomly accuse the man of having a sexual motive with zero evidence is just ridiculous….
@jimmyszeto it’s customary to drink with clients to socialize, but this doesn’t mean she has to drink it. she can accept the glass, but not drink. forcing her to do it is rude, not to mention really unhealthy. i’m glad she brought this up, because no matter how you look at it, when men make women drink, there’s always going to be some question of whether it’s safe. it’s a clear gender divide. and she was harassed for not drinking which made the situation worse.
@coralie thank you for that advice. But wouldn’t that be worst if you take the glass but not drink it? The smell of alcohol makes me sick so if I accepted the glass I would’ve thought they’ll expect me to drink it.
@jd33 it depends on the host’s opinion on this. it’s like when people accept food from other asian mothers, but leave it mostly untouched or spit out the food. if they insist on them eating, then can’t blame them for how they treat the food.
but that’s why this custom has to stop (the force tradition.) it’s important for michelle to bring up this topic to highlight how dangerous and disrespectful it is for this obligation to exist.
one of my gfs is Asian and gets severe Asian glow when she drinks. unfortunately her hubby’s Italian and his Italian family loves wine. and even though she’s politely declined many times, they still insist on her drinking. now she accepts the cup, but lets her husband drink for her. i mean, these are her in-laws so it’s not like she can be rude to them.
but in michelle’s case, that dude is a nobody. she doesn’t have to give a crap about him. and putting him on blast helps him and others to see how his behavior is abominable. maybe if enough women start protesting this behavior, the coercion will stop.
@jimmyszeto
Better safe than sorry motive or no motive. Not everyone is a fan of alcohol. Why couldn’t he just offer her tea then, that’ll save them both face.
When a lady says “no”, it means “no”. It doesn’t matter the culture or custom.
I can’t drink because it would literally kill me. But even if that weren’t the case, if something makes me uncomfortable, they should respect my wishes and not persist. The businessman may not have ill-intentions, but he crossed the line by ignoring her wishes and not respecting her voice. She is right to call him a “scumbag” for that, especially since I am sure he called her something for not obeying him.
And let’s say she gave in and drank. And then something bad happens. She would have been blamed for drinking. She can’t win.
@potatochip
What if she knew prior to a meal with several businessmen, she knew this was going to happen? Everyone with any minor wisdom knows Chinese businessmen won’t accept anyone totally refusing drink whether men or women. Of course culture matters because if she knew this was going to happen then she was just setting them up…
@jimmyszeto Culture should not trump one’s instincts about personal safety. When she got to the meeting and felt threatened by the way they acted, she is right to protect herself.
Imagine this. You have a meeting with a group of gay guys. They pressure you to drink or do things that you may not be comfortable with even though you said no. Would you just go along with it?
@potatochip
It’s totally different. Why are you discriminating gay guys as persisting alcohol drinkers? They have no history of insisting others on drinking…
@potatochip
She stayed for an hour while allegedly getting forced to drink. Also she did not complain about a kidnapping. It’s obvious that she could have walked off whenever she wished.
@jimmyszeto I am not discriminating gay guys. I think I have posted abundantly about LGBTQ rights. I am trying to provide an analogy so that you, as a male, can sense a similar situation that females are put in all the time. You, as a male, do not have to worry about being raped when you wake alone at night or when you are outnumbered by a group of powerful men.
In order for men to see how their actions can be negatively viewed by women, we have to turn it on its head. Do not say or do anything that you wouldn’t want a gay guy to say or do to you.
About her sitting there for an hour, you are already placing blame on her actions. She was trying to negotiate a business deal, and after trying for an hour and realizing that this is not about business but about trying to make her drink, she walked away.
@potatochip
You are totally contradictory. If business deal in China then definitely involves drinking. Every man and his dog knows this…
@jimmyszeto I am not being contradictory. Sure, she may know they like to drink, but she also expected them to respect her “no”. She expected them to be honorable. She did not feel they respected her, so she left.
You still haven’t answered about how you would feel if you were placed in a vulnerable position.
@potatochip
Repect comes mutually and it’s not one way traffic. She felt no respect but the men may have also felt no respect from her refusing to drink. I will walk off but like I said she may have been there is no evidence that she was in a vulnerable position. I certainly wouldn’t post it all over social media.
@potatochip
We are both guessing at how much a threat or how less a threat it was at that dinner party. One thing is for sure, there has to be drinks from both parties in a chinese business deal.
@jimmyszeto I am glad you agree that in a vulnerable position, you would walk away. But how can you prove that you were in a vulnerable position? Who gets to decide? Certainly not me. I am not you, I was not there at the time and I was not in that exact situation.
My point is, only the person in that situation can decide if he or she felt threatened.
I see this scenario with 3 potential outcomes:
1. She was wrong. The businessmen did not have bad intentions. She walked away and lost a business deal.
2. She was right. The businessmen had bad intentions. She walked away. She lost a business deal. But she avoided being raped.
3. She was right. The businessmen had bad intentions. She stayed. She drank. She was raped. (And then she would be criticized for staying. She would be demonized for drinking)
2 out of 3 scenarios she was right. All 3 she loses, but in differing degrees. What do the businessmen lose? No one knows who they were. Privately, if they were good guys, they would be rightfully pissed. But then they just return to their normal rich lives. If they had bad intentions, hopefully, this warns them not to try this with another female. (Honestly, I doubt that they would learn a lesson).
Imagine if your wife or sister went to a party with friends. She calls you and said, some guys that the girls know are making her uncomfortable. She wants to leave. Would you say: It’s a party. People drink and get crazy. Why don’t you stay to see if they are good guys or if they are going to rape you?
Uh, I don’t think so.
And you sound annoyed that she posted on social media. That’s what people do now. They post big things. They post mundane things like what they ate. Social media is a stream of consciousness. I think it speaks volumes that there are countless women who say, “Been there sister”. Or “I have experienced that, I wish I also left.”
I think it brings awareness to the dangers women face. It gives them strength to leave when they feel threatened. It places the blame where it should be placed – men not respecting women’s autonomy. Again, what have these men lost? The risks are far too great for women not to listen to their instincts.
@potatochip
The best solution is -don’t go. 100/100 you will be asked to drink. The more you refuse then the more you get asked. That’s how it works over there….
@jimmyszeto That really puts women at a disadvantage. How can women ever succeed in business?
Maybe she did intend to drink but something about them alerted her instincts that this isn’t right. The better change is not that women should stay home, or do things they are uncomfortable with, but rather for honorable people to listen to each other and respect their boundaries.
@potatochip
Men too will have to drink till they puke. Women will have to drink but not as much. That’s business in China. The likes of Kent Tong has mentioned. It’s unhealthy and damaging but that’s the way it works in China. Many can’t keep it up…
@potatochip
In other countries it’s not like that. Just a glass of wine and a sip for the upper class businessmen and businesswomen. We have to remember that in China, this is not the same. Many businessmen from very low class and poor educational backgrounds have become rich and this has always been their way to do business. Like any culture, it Can’t change overnight…
@jimmyszeto Yes, men are also pressured into drinking. It is the toxic masculinity way of showing dominance. Also agree hat this will not change overnight. It probably won’t change in a decade even. But the first steps towards change is bringing awareness, calling it out and trying to influence change.
@potatochip
It only happens in the mainland though. It won’t change because there are so many rags to riches businessmen without decent manners or etiquette. It will take a few generations at the very least to make big changes.
Kind of feel sorry for her, she always seems to get the bad press and never for positive news. I think she should’ve stayed in hong kong instead of moving to china. She seems like someone that likes freedom of expression/speech – that is not something people can do successfully in china. Aren’t men in china still pretty sexist? Don’t think they’ll treat any sort of business woman with respect. But good on her for standing her ground!
Just a thought – it would’ve been great if she took the route Fala did – moving back to NY after leaving tvb and trying out for American roles… oh well
@myxx
But Fala is superwoman. Very few can do what she did. There was thousands of millions for her if she went to the mainland. She was also perfect for making a career in HK movies too but they are dominated by Male veterans. Most actresses are just used as flower vases like Michelle was. Michelle just went up to mainland and mopped all all the money therefore could hire the likes of Raymond Lam to star in her series. Also all the other TVB actresses which have left. Easy money temptation…