'It's a free trip': Bling Empire's Kane spills on search for Kim's dad with Kevin

It was, perhaps, one of the craziest and most outrageous storylines on Netflix's Bling Empire.

Armed with just a phone number and an address, cast members Kane Lim and Kevin Kreider travelled to Charleston to search for Kim Lee's biological father.

So, when the 31-year-old Singaporean graced an episode of E-Junkies last month, we couldn't help but wonder how he even got the idea in the first place and why he decided to go ahead with it.

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Well, Kane revealed that, prior to filming, the production team spoke to the cast about what storylines they wanted to pursue.

Fellow castmate Kim was "always interested in finding her father", but was reluctant to chase the story further after a certain point (as seen on the show) while the others wanted to.

"In fact, she was also a little angry that we did that," Kane said, "But on hindsight, she's thankful because if we didn't do that, she might not have known that her father had passed away."

For Kane and Kevin, it came from a place of compassion and of wanting to help their friend. The Netflix star added: "But for us, we had no idea what we were going into. I just took it as let's go with the flow, you know, and just do it very respectfully and also out of compassion."

It was a sensitive storyline — as those who watched the show can attest — and the mood was a little sombre as we discussed this, but Kane (who is equally witty in reel and real life) cut through it with a confession that had this writer letting out a loud guffaw.

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"For me, it's like, okay, it's a free trip to Charleston so let's go. For me, more selfishly, it's like, okay, I can travel," he quipped with a laugh.

Jokes aside, that side trip to Charleston could have gone wrong in any number of ways. After all, they were headed to an unfamiliar place, with only a number and an address as leads, and no other information. Who knew what kind of people they were about to find there?

At least, those were our thoughts when we were watching it.

The potential threat to the safety and well-being of two Asian men wasn't lost on them, as Kane pointed out that the city had Confederate flags — which among others, symbolises racism — around and it is a "very white state". There were also armed bodyguards accompanying them, but it wasn't caught on camera.

Fortunately, they didn't experience anything dangerous while filming in Charleston.

However, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Kane wasn't so lucky as he was a victim of a racist attack that occurred right in his backyard — Los Angeles.

ALSO READ: Caught on video: Man attacks 65-year-old Asian American woman on New York street

He shared: "A year ago, during the Covid situation, I was just going for a walk — I go for daily walks, and you know, just walking in a very safe neighbourhood, and like this person just threw a cup at my head. I was like, 'What the f***.'

"Being in LA for eight years, I've never encountered racism on such a level. When that incident kind of happened, I was really taken aback and shocked. And after that, you see Asian attacks getting more prevalent... I think the whole narrative of this being the 'Chinese' virus didn't really help Asian people at all."

Not crazy, just normal

Ostensibly, many people watched Bling Empire to see rich people doing rich things and going wild. For the most part, those people got what they wanted.

Although, Kane insisted that they really aren't that crazy and that's how they normally are, aside from the penis pump incident and the search for Kim's father.

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"This is just us," he said, "We're just normal people. I feel we're normal, you know. But to others, it might look a bit crazy because of the parties and everything else."

But amid the storm of craziness, Kane always remained centred throughout the show and often served as a source of counsel and wisdom.

A lot of the credit goes to his practice of Buddhism — something that was introduced to viewers in the first episode as he's shown in the middle of his meditation — but perhaps, something can also be said about the way he was raised.

It was previously reported that Kane's father instilled the value of humility in him from a young age by dropping him off at the bus stop so he would take the bus to school. And this humble attitude towards life's material wealth stemmed from his grandparents who, according to Kane, came to Singapore from China with "nothing in their pockets".

His uncles and his parents struggled for a living then, and though they're successful now, they never forgot their roots.

He said: "Even my dad, when he comes to the States, he puts coins in, like, Ziploc bags, and I used to laugh at him, like, why [do that]? And now I'm like, you know, it's so important to be thrifty, and humble, and also to give back, like my parents have always advocated."

"Am I supposed to be obnoxious?"

Growing up, his father wanted him to "make our own money and be independent". So, while his friends — from all the top families in Singapore — were chauffeured in Rolls Royces, Kane's dad refused to indulge his kid. He would tell Kane, in broken English, that he would provide the necessities but they had to pay for their own luxuries.

"I was, like, 'Why, dad? We have money', but looking back, I really appreciate all the values they instilled in me, and I'm so thankful for him."

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For the uninitiated, Kane doesn't live off his parents; he's also an entrepreneur and a real estate developer.

When we pointed out that people are surprised by how grounded he is, Kane exclaimed: "But what am I supposed to be? Am I supposed to be obnoxious? I think everyone should be humble. I don't think that I'm different... You can always be super famous one day and be nothing the next day. I've seen that happen to a lot of friends and families.

"So, for me, I always try to be humble and grounded. Honestly, we come from nothing, and this is just like material wealth. I mean, what's really important is, you know, 'inner' wealth as well."

Kane also described himself to be different from the typical rich people, revealing that he prefers to dine at hawker centres in Singapore instead of going for Michelin star restaurants because the food takes "so f****** long" to be served.

"For me, I love heart and soul. Even in Thailand, I sit on my tuk-tuks, I sit on motorbikes," he said.

Fame changes people

He did admit that an accurate stereotype about rich people would be that they're obnoxious and snobbish, and casually remarked: "Some of my cast members are, but I won't say who."

When asked whether the filming process brought some of them closer together as friends, Kane replied: "You know, I think through this process, you get to see how fame and money — more fame, I would say — change people. And for me, it's quite scary that that happens."

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Of course, certain friendships have been strengthened due to the show and they are all friends, but Kane said that "you can see people sort of changing with the publicity".

As much as he seems above it all, though, one thing is for certain — even the best of us can succumb.

When we teased Kane about what it would take for him to return to our sunny shores, he said facetiously: "If you guys could change the weather, number one, that would be great. Number two, if my dad buys me a GCB (Good Class Bungalow). Number three, I would like a Lamborghini Urus. No, I'm joking — the GCB was funny."

"Honestly, I will move back any day. I love Singapore so much. And after this pandemic, just seeing how dangerous it is in LA, I would definitely move back to Singapore any time. But I just think that given the opportunities that I'm working with, Singapore is very small for my creative outlet," Kane explained.

He added: "But on the personal side, I would love to come back and be with my parents. I feel it's my duty as a son to be grateful to your parents and spend time with them. I neglected that indirectly because of Covid, but at the same time, in my heart, I would love to come back to Singapore."

To hear more Bling Empire 'tea' from Kane, including the Christine-Anna rivalry, watch this week's episode of E-Junkies!

ALSO READ: E-Junkies: Singapore was the start of my Power Rangers journey, says Mortal Kombat star Ludi Lin

bryanlim@asiaone.com