After an emotional livestream cancellation in Guangzhou, a tearful Joanne Peh took to social media to explain the series of events that led to her decision.
In a cryptic TikTok Story post, the 43-year-old revealed that she had pulled out of the livestream because there was “zero respect from [the] merchant”. Later, during an hour-long livestream, a visibly shaken Joanne elaborated on what had happened.
“This is the one merchant that I think is so full of yourself,” she said. “If you think you can go ahead and stream all by yourself, then don’t invite the creators.”
Without naming the vendor involved, Joanne shared that neither she nor her team had made unreasonable demands, such as requesting luxury transportation. However, she felt basic courtesy was lacking, claiming that the merchant even smoked in her presence.
During the same livestream, Joanne’s husband, actor Qi Yuwu, joined her and spoke about how he had tried to lift her spirits after the incident.
The Guangzhou-born actor treated the team to a memorable meal, explaining that since they had travelled all the way to his hometown, he wanted to show them the city’s best side and leave them with fond memories.
Reflecting on the controversy, Qi said no one could have predicted how the evening would unfold. However, he pointed to one silver lining: the overwhelming support Joanne received from fans online.
“I kept reading the comments,” he shared. “People watching from behind a screen may not fully understand or experience the effort and hard work you put in. That’s part and parcel of the job. But when you read the comments, you can really feel the support from netizens. There is so much faith and belief in you.”
Moved by his words, Joanne replied: “The more he talks about this, the more I feel like crying.”
Qi revealed that seeing how hurt and wronged Joanne felt was what prompted him to encourage her to go live and speak directly to her fans — a decision he is glad she made.
In response, Joanne joked that she does not always listen to her husband’s advice.
Wrapping up the livestream, Qi remarked that “work is never easy”. While Joanne is usually someone who chooses to look on the bright side and endure difficulties in order to build resilience, he questioned whether some hardships are worth enduring at all.
“Why put yourself through this?” he asked.
He went on to say that everyone needs to establish boundaries and decide what they are willing to tolerate.
“Once that line is crossed, you have to look at what you’re putting out and ask yourself whether it’s worth it. It’s about your own perspective and approach to life. It’s a form of self-respect. Others may not respect you, but you have to respect yourself.”
Joanne agreed, adding that one cannot always expect respect from others, which is why it is important to value and prioritise oneself first.
Qi Yuwu and Joanne have been married since 2014 and share two children together: an 11-year-old daughter and a nine-year-old son.