January 15, 2021 (2021-01-15) – October 5, 2022 (2022-10-05)
Related
Bling Empire: New York
Bling Empire is an American reality television series released on Netflix on January 15, 2021. The series focuses on the lives of wealthy, materialistic East and Southeast Asian Americans, socialites based in the Los Angeles area,[1] described as real-life Crazy Rich Asians.[2][3] It is the first American reality television series in which the main cast are all of East and Southeast Asian descent.[4]
On March 10, 2021, Netflix renewed the series for a second season which premiered on May 13, 2022.[5][6] The third season premiered on October 5, 2022.[7] The sister Netflix series, Bling Empire: New York, launched in January 2023.[8][9] In April 2023, it was reported that Netflix decided to not go forward with the fourth season of this series and second season of the spin-off Bling Empire: New York.[10]
Cast
Main
Cherie Chan: Denim heiress and former singer. Engaged to Jessey, mother of Jadore and Jevon[11] Chan quit the series at the end of the second season due to a controversy within the cast
Christine Chiu: Born in Taiwan, co-founder of Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery inc., philanthropist, and couture collector. Married to Gabriel, mother of 'Baby G'[12]
Gabriel Chiu: Co-founder and plastic surgeon at Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery inc., who claims to be a 24th direct descendant of the Song emperor. Married to Christine, father of 'Baby G'
Andrew Gray: Male model and an actor, who is best known for playing the Red Ranger in Power Rangers Megaforce. Makes a guest appearance during the last episode in the second season and the first episode in the final season
Jessey Lee: Family business is in furniture. Engaged to Cherie, father of Jadore and Jevon. Lee quit the series at the end of the second series due to a controversy within the cast
Guy Tang: Hairdresser and singer-songwriter. Married to Almar
For the first season, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Bling Empire may be another celebration of lavish wealth, but the focus on an Asian American cast gives this reality program an intriguing layer of cultural celebration."[19]
Diane Gordon of TV Guide thought the television series was more than the "grotesque opulence" that it depicted, with compelling characters among the cast, some of whom were exploring their identity.[20] Eilidh Hargreaves of The Telegraph found the "epic rivalries", "ridiculous" problems, wild whims, "self-serving" philosophy of the main characters to be compulsive viewing and "deliciously odious to observe".[21]
Spin-off
In October 2022, Netflix announced a New York City-set spin-off series Bling Empire: New York. It stars Dorothy Wang, who was a cast member in season 2 of the original series.[22][23] The spin-off was released on January 20, 2023.[24]