Actress Joanne Peh yells & cries on livestream over dispute with merchant, netizens have mixed feelings

Joanne Peh cries after cancelling China livestream over alleged mistreatment by merchant

Local actress and host Joanne Peh has spoken out about the importance of respect in business relationships after cancelling a scheduled sales livestream in China due to what she described as unacceptable treatment by a merchant.

The 43-year-old became emotional during a TikTok livestream on Wednesday (17 June), where she explained why she and her team decided to walk away from the commercial collaboration.

According to Ms Peh, the decision stemmed from interactions she witnessed involving a merchant she felt had shown a lack of respect towards creators and others supporting the business.

“If you think you can go ahead and stream all by yourself, then don’t invite the creators,” she said in a livestream, according to videos reposted online.

Actress says merchant should show basic courtesy to creators

In her livestream, Ms Peh became visibly emotional while describing her experience.

Calling out a merchant without naming them, she said, “And this is the one merchant that I think you’re so full of yourself.”

She added, “If you think you can go ahead and stream all by yourself, then don’t invite the creators.”

Ms Peh went on to explain that creators do not expect lavish treatment when working with brands.

However, she felt there should still be a basic level of courtesy.

“Just because we don’t ask for it doesn’t mean that you don’t even offer us a drink when we sit down,” she said as an example.

At one point during the livestream, Ms Peh appeared to tear up while speaking about the incident.

The actress had reportedly been scheduled to host a TikTok sales livestream in China that evening.

However, she later posted a TikTok Story explaining that the event had been called off.

Cancelling stream was not a decision made lightly

The following day, Ms Peh shared a lengthy statement on social media explaining why she chose to cancel the livestream.

She said the decision came with significant costs for everyone involved.

“Walking away from a stream means walking away from time, effort and income that many people had already invested in.”

Nevertheless, she felt she could not proceed after witnessing behaviour she could not, “in good conscience”, support.

While she did not reveal specific details or identify the merchant involved, Ms Peh said subsequent conversations with account managers and others working behind the scenes only reinforced her belief that cancelling the livestream had been the right choice.

“I am not interested in repeating every word that was said nor turn this into a public spectacle,” the actress added.

‘Success is built on people’

In her statement, Ms Peh reflected on the people who contribute to a business’s success, from consumers and creators to platform teams and account managers.

She wrote,”Every ranking, every sales milestone and every GMV record is built on the support of other people.”

According to Ms Peh, commercial success should never come at the expense of treating others with dignity.

“Success is built on people. That support should be met with gratitude. Not entitlement.”

She added, “Which is why respect should never be optional.”

Actress encourages creators to know their worth

Ms Peh also urged fellow content creators not to let their value be defined by business metrics or another person’s success.

“Whether you are experienced or new… Never allow anyone to make you feel that your worth is determined by someone else’s success,” she said.

She stressed that all creators deserve respect regardless of their audience size or sales performance.

Netizens divided over Joanne Peh’s remarks

Ms Peh’s comments sparked discussion online, with many supporters applauding her for standing up for herself and her team.

Some netizens praised the actress for prioritising respect over business opportunities, leaving comments such as “Salute to you.”

Others agreed that creators and staff working behind the scenes deserve to be treated with basic courtesy, regardless of their commercial value.

However, not everyone shared her view.

Some felt the issue had been blown out of proportion, with others questioning whether the situation warranted a public discussion.

Despite the mixed reactions, Ms Peh maintained that the issue was about more than refreshments, saying her decision was based on interactions she witnessed and her belief that “respect should never be optional”.

MS News has reached out to Ms Peh for a comment.

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Featured image adapted from @huabiscus on TikTok and @joannepeh on Instagram.