The Truth About Cherie Chan From Bling Empire
Netflix viewers have been obsessed with the luxury fantasia that is the reality series Bling Empire since it premiered back in January. The series drops viewers directly into the lap of luxury and introduces them to several mega-rich members of Los Angeles' Asian and Asian American communities. A feud between weapons heiress Anna Shay and socialite Christine Chiu provided quite a bit of the drama in the show's first season, as did Guy Tang's mischievous antics. But those who enjoy the quieter and more personal side of reality TV took an instant liking to denim heiress Cherie Chan.
Cherie came into the show juggling a trifecta of deeply personal family issues. She was pregnant with her second child, navigating her relationship with her long-time boyfriend Jessey Lee, and coping with the recent death of her mother. Cherie may not have brought a lot of conflict to the series, but many fans are likely hoping she and Jessey will be back for another season so they can finally see them tie the knot. In the meantime, here's what you might not know about her life before Bling Empire.
Cherie Chan's former life as a pop star in Japan
When viewers first met Cherie on Bling Empire, she mentioned that once upon a time, she was slated to be a pop star in Japan. And we're not talking "I made a demo tape and was shopping it around." Cherie states that she had a recording contract with Sony Music that came with perks like a swank apartment with a view of Mt. Fuji.
Cherie's Instagram posts from 2012 and 2013 corroborate this. There are shots of her decked out in headphones while doing work in the recording studio, as well as one of her in front of a microphone that's geotagged to Sony Music Entertainment Japan.
Another shot from 2013 bears the caption "See everyone at my performance tonight," along with the hashtags "lovemyfans," "opening," and "carsandmusic." This post has the Ebisu Circuit tagged in it, which is a racetrack in Japan. According to Time Out, there's an art and music festival called the Ebisu Circuit Festival, which is perhaps where Cherie was off to when she posted that 'gram.
As those who watched the show know, Cherie ended up setting her music career aside at the behest of her mother. However, during an interview on the #NoFilter with Zack Peter podcast, she was asked if she has plans to start singing again. "We're trying to make time for it," Cherie revealed. "I mean, my children are number one for me. Because when you do music, when you do anything art related, you have to give it your all, otherwise don't do it."
It seems that there aren't any immediate plans to reinvigorate her music career, but perhaps if she does another season of Bling Empire, Cherie's fans will get to see her bust out her pop star moves.