Singapore-based Malaysian actor Zhang Yaodong is no longer being represented by broadcaster Mediacorp and its artiste management arm The Celebrity Agency.

News of his departure broke on Feb 20, after Mediacorp’s online publication 8world reported that The Celebrity Agency declined to answer questions about Zhang as he is no longer being represented by the agency. His talent profile has also been removed from the agency’s website.

It is not specified when he left the agency. When Chinese outlet Lianhe Zaobao contacted Mediacorp in January, it said Zhang was working with the broadcaster on a “project basis” and was not involved in any new productions at the time.

He had left Mediacorp in 2012, but returned in 2015.

The 47-year-old star, whose most recent series with Mediacorp was the Channel 8 drama Born To Shine (2024), has been mired in scandal since July 2024, when a Xiaohongshu netizen accused him of having children born out of wedlock and lying to women.

Zhang, who is not known to be married, admitted on social media in November that he has two daughters and said he regrets missing out on their childhood years. The post was accompanied by a photo of what looked to be two teenage girls with their backs to the camera.

In January, more purported exposes of Zhang surfaced on Xiaohongshu. A netizen claiming to be the woman who gave birth to one of his illegitimate children said he had more than two daughters and accused him of dating multiple women at the same time without their knowledge.

Another account on the platform also posted in February alleged voice recordings of Zhang talking about why he chose to come clean about having children and why he was replaced by local actor Elvin Ng in Emerald Hill. The highly anticipated Mediacorp spin-off sequel of hit drama The Little Nyonya (2008) is set to premiere in March.

Mediacorp clarified in July that Zhang was unable to commit to Emerald Hill due to scheduling conflicts.

The Straits Times has reached out to Mediacorp and Zhang for comment on details of his departure from the broadcaster. Since his post confirming that he has two daughters, he has not responded to the rumours about his private life, and has not spoken about leaving Mediacorp.

His last social posts in late January were about his participation in local e-commerce live-stream platform Star Live’s Chinese New Year web series Mai Jiak Chua: Seven Warriors In The Snake Year, in which he played the ancient Chinese military general Yue Fei.

Zhang first entered the entertainment industry via Mediacorp’s talent competition Star Search in 2001 as the Malaysian first runner-up. He had lead roles in Channel 8 dramas like The Greatest Love Of All (2007) and Daybreak (2019), which landed him Best Actor nominations at the Star Awards.

For Daybreak, he was named Singapore’s National Winner for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Asian Academy Creative Awards in 2020. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network