Simu Liu, better known as the star of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” found himself in a peculiar situation after a clip in which he is seen criticizing a boba company for cultural appropriation went viral.
Later, fans started making threats against the boba company, and Liu had to ask the “Dragon’s Den” fans to stop.
Simu Liu Calls on ‘Dragons’ Den’ Fans to Cease “Death Threats and Harassment” Against Boba Company
Liu in a video he shared on TikTok said,
“I want to say that I think we hit on a really important discussion about cultural appropriation, what it is, how something is exploitative rather than kind of paying homage and paying respect, when is that line crossed, and in that conversation, by the way, I’ve experienced a massive wave of positivity and support from people from every community, and I just think that’s really incredible and I really appreciate that,”
The actor further added,
“On the flip side, I’ve been made aware that the business owners have received a lot of death threats and harassment and otherwise just kind of bullying and dogpiling, and I just want to say that, full stop, it’s never okay to make threats. It’s never okay to bully and harass online.”
The company Bobba was featured on the CBC’s “Dragon’s Den” Season 19, the Canadian version of “Shark Tank,” in search of investors and Simu Liu was a guest dragon.
As the company looked for potential investors and its Canadian owners were showcasing their products, Simu Liu chipped in and said,
“There’s an issue of taking something that’s very distinctly Asian in its identity and quote-unquote ‘making it better,’ which I have an issue with.”
Bobba sells bottled boba tea, which is native to Taiwan but its popularity has soared in the US. However, after the backlash caused by Liu’s comments, the company apologized on social media.
The statement read,
“We know our choice of words was misguided and understand people’s reactions. What we were trying to do is celebrate that many other cultures are now enjoying this wonderful drink. Our choice of words was wrong when trying to explain our point, and for that, we are extremely sorry.”
The statement later added,
“At no point did we mean to insinuate that our Bobba bubble tea is better than traditional bubble tea in any way.”
The incident has been reported to have caused the company a loss of $1m investment from Dragon Manjit Minhas, who decided to pull out.
Users have vented their frustration on TikTok and criticized Bobba owners Sébastien Fiset and Jessica Frenette as well as the panel of Dragons who tried to trivialize Simu Liu’s original concerns.
Bubble tea is a mix of flavorful milk or regular tea with a dash of tapioca balls for additional sweetness.
