Stars and fans show up to pay last respects to Yammie Lam

A memorial service on Friday (Nov 9) for the late TVB actress Yammie Lam drew a crowd of 300 celebrities and fans to St Anne’s Church in Stanley, Hong Kong.

Lam, 55, who was baptised in the church in 2013, was found dead in her home last week. Authorities do not suspect foul play and no note was found in the flat.

Her elder sister was at the service but kept a low profile.

Several of Lam’s contemporaries who had acted opposite her were spotted, among them Michael Tao and David Siu who were in The Greed Of Man, one of her best known TVB drama shows.

Sheren Tang, who was reportedly Lam’s friend, was also at the service, dressed in black.

Dicky Cheung, known for his roles in The Duke Of Mount Deer and Journey To The West, also paid his respects and read a verse from the Bible.

Apple Daily reported that Cheung said he did not know Lam well but came to send her off as he is Catholic, like her. She was also apparently a neighbour of one of his friends from church.

Former TVB actress Maggie Chan also read a Bible verse during the service.

While actress Maggie Cheung, The Greed Of Man alums Sean Lau and his wife Amy Kwok did not show up, they sent wreaths.

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Lam was once famous for her beauty and acting skills but her career and life took a downturn in the late 1990s after she hurt her hands and neck in a car accident. She also reportedly suffered from mental health issues.

In 2006, she was declared bankrupt and eventually had to depend on financial aid. 

Some of her fans left flowers beside the memorial hall. One fan stood outside the hall and held a banner which said in Chinese: “Big Brother, come out to apologise!”

He told reporters: “Everyone knows who it is.” He was later asked to leave by church staff.

In a 2013 interview, Lam said she had been raped by two “big brothers” of the entertainment industry. The names were not revealed in the interview, but a video clip surfaced earlier this year in which Lam purportedly named actor Alan Tang and veteran comedian Eric Tsang as her attackers.

Tang died in 2011 and Tsang has vigorously denied the rumours.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.