Ian Fang and the shocking scandals that rocked the nation

Once a breakout star in Singapore’s entertainment scene, Ian Fang was known for his boyish charm and leading-man appeal.

But on 19 May 2025, the former Mediacorp actor became infamous for a very different reason – he was sentenced to 40 months in jail after pleading guilty to multiple sexual offences involving a 15-year-old girl.

The charges were grave with the details of the crime being deeply disturbing. For many, it marked Fang’s fall from grace and the end of a long-unravelling public persona.

A crime that shocked Singapore

According to CNA, Fang, now 35, met the victim in May 2024 at an entertainment event. At the time, he was working as an acting coach at a child modelling school. The two exchanged contact details and began chatting daily.

In June 2024, Fang and the victim had engaged in nine sexual encounters, most of them unprotected, even though Fang knew the girl was 15. As Mothership reported, the first encounter happened on 6 June 2024 in a hotel room, where the girl had been quarantined with COVID-19. Fang arrived with two cans of beer, which she declined. Despite her request for him to wear a condom, he refused. It was her first sexual experience.

In the days that followed, she left her hotel to meet him again. They had supper and went to his home, where they had unprotected sex again. On 17 June 2024, while she was hospitalised for a flu infection, Fang returned to her private room after midnight when her mother had left, and had sex with her there too.

The girl later began experiencing pain and was diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection. Her mother eventually discovered the relationship and filed a police report on 3 August 2024. Fang was arrested the next day and released on bail.

Despite being explicitly instructed not to contact the victim, Fang repeatedly messaged her. He said that he would “commit suicide” if jailed, and urged her to cry in front of her mother to convince her not to pursue the case.

By late August, the victim had been admitted to the Institute of Mental Health and diagnosed with adjustment disorder. But even then, Fang didn’t stop. He called her 18 times in one day, messaged her on WhatsApp, and accessed her virtual karaoke room via a public app.

According to CNA, Deputy Public Prosecutor Lynda Lee called his behaviour “a high degree of exploitation,” noting that the girl had come to believe sex was the only way to keep him close. District Judge Eddy Tham agreed. “He took advantage of her emotional vulnerability… and gaslighted her for the sole purpose of saving his own neck.”

The New Paper reported that Fang is currently out on S$30,000 bail and will begin serving his sentence on 16 June. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has confirmed that his permanent residency status is under review.

He was once full of promise

Before the scandal, Fang was a promising young star. He was listed as one of the “Eight Dukes of Caldecott Hill”, a title given to Mediacorp’s up-and-coming actors. His roles in C.L.I.F., On The Fringe, and Don’t Stop Believin’ made him a household name, and he took home the Star Awards’ Best Newcomer in 2013, followed by two Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste wins in 2015 and 2017.

In April 2023, The Straits Times reported that Fang left Mediacorp after 12 years, calling it “the beginning of a new chapter.” That same year, he began working with young talents as a coach at a child modelling school, where he would later meet his victim.

A history of public missteps

Even before his conviction, Fang had a history of making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Here’s a breakdown of the scandals that chipped away at his public image, long before his criminal trial.

1. The leaked sexting scandal involving Carrie Wong (2019)

In one of the biggest entertainment scandals of 2019, The Straits Times reported that private Instagram messages between Fang and fellow actress Carrie Wong were leaked online. The conversation, which was peppered with vulgar language and sexual innuendo, revealed Fang joking about “planting strawberries” (slang for love bites) on Wong and casually talking about sleeping with her. At the time, Wong was in a public relationship with Taiwanese model Boris Lin, and Fang was rumoured to be dating actress Rebecca Lim.

The leak exposed a flirtatious “friendship” and allegations of infidelity, sparking a media frenzy. Fang issued a public apology, while claiming that the messages were taken out of context and meant in jest. Both stars faced backlash, and their agency labelled the texts “distasteful and inappropriate.”

2. Taking shots at fellow actor, Lawrence Wong (2019)

In the same leaked messages, Fang made dismissive remarks about actor Lawrence Wong, who had just shot to fame for his role in Yanxi Palace. He implied that the actor’s success came down to “connections, looks or luck,” prompting fans to come to the latter’s defence.

Lawrence, whose career has been met with great success in both Singapore and China, responded with grace, posting on Instagram about the years of struggle behind his career. Carrie later issued a direct apology to him, which he graciously accepted. The contrast between Fang’s snide commentary and Lawrence’s composed response only deepened public unease about Fang’s character.

3. The Rebecca Lim fallout (2019–2021)

Fang and the much-beloved actress Rebecca Lim had long been rumoured to be romantically involved. But after the sexting scandal broke in 2019, Lim quietly scrubbed all traces of the actor from her social media feed.

Later on in 2021, Yahoo Life! reported that when Lim announced her engagement to a non-celebrity, Fang responded with a cryptic post referencing Singapore’s golden couple, Christopher Lee and Fann Wong: “Not everyone can be like Christopher Lee and Fann Wong,” he wrote in Chinese. The post was swiftly deleted, but not before netizens picked up on its bitter tone.

That same day, he shared a visibly emotional Instagram Story: “Why am I being scolded when someone else is getting married? What did I do wrong? I didn’t say anything! Why scold me!?”

The posts went viral and sparked a new round of public criticism.

4. A fractured bond with his “shifu,” actor Christopher Lee (2024)

Fang often spoke publicly about his admiration for veteran actor Christopher Lee, calling him his mentor and “shifu.” But their relationship appeared to sour over the years.

In a 2024 YouTube interview hosted by local influencers Simonboy, Luke Chan and Noah Yap, Fang revealed that the Singaporean icon had confronted him after the sexting scandal, saying: “Can you make me feel proud when you call me shifu? Not the kind of incredulous reaction people have when they hear I’m your mentor.”

The video has since been deleted.

Victim’s parents takes legal action

Update

In an interview with 8world, the victim’s mother spoke out against what she described as an “extremely lenient” sentence, expressing disbelief that Fang had not been caned.

“If he were caned, there would be a permanent mark on his buttocks. That way, he wouldn’t be able to go out and deceive others anymore,” she said. “Now, without that cane mark, he can go out and cheat anyone he wants.”

“Mark him for life. He marked my daughter for life,” the victim’s father shared with CNA. “Let the guy learn. Like that, every time he takes off his clothes, people can see that he did something bad in the past.”

Although Fang was charged under Section 376A(2)(b), which does not include caning, the victim’s mother remains adamant that her daughter was exploited. She described the power imbalance, the secrecy Fang encouraged, and the emotional and physical harm inflicted on her child.

“What else could this be if not exploitation?” she asked. “He took her virginity when she was sick. Every time they met, he had a purpose. He was just coercing and luring my child.”

The victim’s father adds that Fang exploited his position as a teacher and used his celebrity status to take advantage of a student who had developed feelings for him.

Both the girl’s parents have since hired legal counsel and are taking civil action against Fang.

“What we want is not money as compensation. I want to sue him until he goes bankrupt,” the victim’s mother said, adding that any compensation will be donated to charity.

Fang begins jail sentence and denies transmitting STI

Update

On 16 June 2025, Fang surrendered himself at the State Courts to begin serving his 40-month jail term for sexual offences involving a 15-year-old girl. The Straits Times and CNA captured Fang’s statement to reporters before he entered court. “When you make a mistake, you have to take responsibility. I’m here now to accept the punishment and legal consequences that I deserve.”

The former actor described his actions as “an expensive and very huge mistake,” and expressed a desire to “be reborn” and start over. “I definitely will try my best to be a better person, a better version of myself,” he said in English, adding that he hoped the public would give him a chance to prove that he could change.

Accompanied by his mother, Fang also apologised to the victim: “I am sorry. Everyone has been hurt.”

According to CNA, Fang responded to reports that the victim’s parents intended to sue him, claiming that “some reports were not true” and expressing hope that the situation could be clarified.

In an article by Mothership, Fang Peinian, mother of the fallen star, publicly denied claims that her son had transmitted a sexually transmitted infection to the victim. She told reporters, “There were some inaccurate reports. We have proof… regarding sexually transmitted infections. We don’t have them. We have proof.” However, no supporting evidence was presented.

Fang’s mother was addressing accusations from the victim’s parents, who stated that their daughter had contracted HPV after engaging in five unprotected sexual encounters with him.

Various news outlets have shared that Fang will begin serving his sentence immediately.