Rich people reality shows have a sort of je ne sais quoi. Their lives are so fantastically removed from my own that I can’t help but watch their adventures with a mix of giddy fascination and heightened class consciousness. Netflix’s Bling Empire, a show featuring unthinkably wealthy Asians and Asian-Americans, has it all—serious arguments about diamonds on children, heiresses lounging in lavish mansions, jet setting on private planes. As a matter of course, I shamelessly binged the entire season.
Executive producer Jeff Jenkins, who worked on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, took direct inspiration from the rom-com Crazy Rich Asians. He told OprahMag.com, "When I saw that movie I, like every other reality television producer in town, thought, 'This would be a great reality show.'"
The main cast includes Christine Chiu, mogul and "couture queen"; model Kevin Kreider; entrepreneur Kelly Mi Li; Kane Lim, a real estate developer and investor; socialite Anna Shay; and influencer Jaime Xie, the daughter of a tech billionaire.
The series isn’t just about the myriad of ways wealthy people play around with their money and socialize in LA. The cast appears to genuinely get along with each other (Netflix says the friend group existed before the show), and they are genuinely pleasant (despite Shay’s dad being an arms dealer), making the entire series a million times more watchable than other shows of this ilk.
Between iconic looks, extravagant real estate, and charming characters, Bling Empire is another Netflix hit. So, um, when are we getting season two?
Has Bling Empire been renewed for a second season?
Yes! On March 10, Netflix announced that Bling Empire was being renewed for a second season:
Selling Sunset and Bling Empire have both been renewed for new seasons! Anyone else think they should do a crossover where Anna goes to one of Chrishell’s open houses? pic.twitter.com/MGDgvs6cYKMarch 10, 2021
Jenkins has already said he’s ready to get started. Speaking to OprahMag.com, he said, “The cast is hilarious, sexy, funny, dramatic, and conniving. All of us would love to continue on this journey with them for as many years as viewers are interested."
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How does the cast feel about another season?
In a statement to Variety, Chiu championed the show's expanded depiction of Asian identity and the diversity it brought to the rich-people-being-rich genre. She told the magazine, “We were very passionate about not only the Asian representation on television, but also to be able to showcase the entrepreneurial side of our lives and the business we’ve built and, of course, the nonprofit organizations that I was and am very passionately involved in.”
On Instagram, Chiu again acknowledged the cultural diversity of the show and expressed her desire to “keep the pace going, let’s keep blinging.”
A post shared by Christine Alexandra Chiu (@christine_chiu88)
A photo posted by on
Kelly Mi Li, on the other hand, posted a sweet video on Instagram thanking fans for their support. She wrote, “Shooting this project was such a great experience. I learned so much about myself, and I’m just really grateful I got to share my journey and story with you guys.”
A post shared by Kelly Mi Li (@kellymili)
A photo posted by on
When could Netflix release the season season?
With coronavirus still on the loose, it’s unlikely that the show could film the lavish parties and social engagements that we saw in the first season right now. Let's hope the new administration will sort the vaccine rollout swiftly so we can get back to bingeing new Bling Empire content!
Zoe Guy is the digital fellow at Marie Claire, where she covers pop culture, hot celebrity gossip, movies and TV. She’s obsessed with Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of The Age of Innocence, anything written by Jesmyn Ward and stan Twitter.
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