Viewers of Netflix’s new reality show Bling Empire are labeling one of the show’s romantic relationships as “ insulting ”, accusing a star of being a “ gas lighter ” and a “ living and breathing red flag. ”
The show, billed as the real-life version of the hit movie Crazy Rich Asians, premiered January 15 – and already fans have ridiculed the whole story, weighing in on the plot and stars on social media.
Many Twitter critics have expressed particular concern about the relationship between Kelly Mi Li, 35, and actor Andrew Gray, 33, and some say Netflix should have included a warning about abuse of relationships with the show.
Yikes: Viewers of Netflix’s new reality show Bling Empire are calling one of the show’s romantic relationships ‘offensive’
Troubled: Fans describe actor Andrew Gray as ‘toxic’ to Kelly Mi Li
Evidence: They point to his behavior on the show, such as how he yelled at Kelly for going shopping without him while he was taking a nap
Nice guy: Kelly got the call while she was in a store and put it on speaker phone while Andrew screamed and scolded her
If you say so, he insisted she shouldn’t have left the hotel room without him
So he’s the victim now: Later, when the couple talked about the incident, he cried
The show features several scenes documenting Kelly’s relationship with Andrew, who played the red Power Ranger in Power Rangers Megaforce from 2013 to 2014.
In the first episode, the couple are flown to Paris by a wealthy friend for Kelly’s birthday – where Andrew yells at her that she was going shopping without him while he was taking a nap.
Claim to fame: Andrew starred as the red Power Ranger in Power Rangers Megaforce from 2013 to 2014
“What the hell is going on?” he shouts through the phone. “Your lack of effort is driving me crazy.”
He even told her she couldn’t leave the hotel without him.
To make matters worse, Kelly admits that Andrew “gets into these bad moods or episodes on a regular basis,” telling the camera, “Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Drew has yelled at me or spoke to me in this way.”
In another scene, when her boyfriend asks Kevin what she’s getting out of the relationship, her answer is, “He’s not sleeping around.”
One time, Kelly walks out of a recording studio where Andrew works with a friend after he started yelling at her about her decision to discuss their relationship with her friends.
Andrew’s volatile behavior sends the couple to therapy, where Kelly eventually decides she no longer wants to continue with the relationship – although at the end of the series she is seen returning to his home, making the status of their romance a mystery remains.
But while the reality star has been able to forgive and forget her partner’s outbursts, viewers of the Netflix show have been horrified by his ‘insulting’ actions.
Not OK! Viewers of the show are shocked by Andrew’s behavior, call him ‘psycho’ and say Kelly should leave him
Does anyone else feel that Red Power Ranger might be a psychopath? He makes my skin crawl, ‘wrote one.
“Kelly is so sweet and sweet, I just need her to get away from Andrew ASAP. That man is scary. The look in his eyes? said another.
Um, are you okay with Kelly? That Andrew man is literally a living and breathing red flag !!! said another.
Yet another said that Andrew ‘the definition of a GAS LIGHTER !!’
Many have gone so far as to say that he displays a lot of behavior from violent men.
‘I’m not a shrink, but this red Power Ranger, Andrew Gray, on #blingempire looks like a super seedy poisonous con f *** boy. When he speaks it sounds like a lie. It looks like Kelly is in an emotionally abusive relationship with him and she needs to run away from him, not run! ‘wrote one.
“Andrew wants privacy so he can abuse Kelly privately without consequences,” said another.
Warning! Several say its offensive behavior triggers and Netflix should include a warning
Uh-oh: Kelly said ‘it was just the dynamic of the relationship between me and Andrew’
‘Watching Kelly and Andrew is horrifying and I imagine it triggers a lot of people who have been in an abusive relationship,’ another added.
Several have even urged Netflix to add a warning to the show for sensitive viewers.
One explained, ‘Bling Empire needs a trigger warning about abuse relationships when it comes to Kelly and Andrew scenes. I don’t like to watch reality TV and worry about someone’s safety all the time. ‘
Speaking of her relationship with Distractify after the show’s debut, Kelly said, “ In Asian culture, you don’t air your dirty laundry … whatever happens at home, it’s supposed to stay indoors.
So for us it was just the dynamic of the relationship between me and Andrew. Most people did not know how difficult it was sometimes. People see our happy moments when we’re gone, but there are many hard times. ‘
However, she doesn’t want to share if they’re still a couple.
However, their Instagram accounts hint that they may have officially quit it. While they both shared a lot of photos between 2015 and 2019, their last photo appears to have been posted together in 2019.