This Chinese Drama Was Dropped From Streaming Site iQIYI After Outcry Over Racist Remarks Against Filipino Domestic Workers

Chinese streaming platform iQIYI has pulled new idol drama Make My Heart Smile from its site following outcry over racist remarks made against Filipinos.

In the first episode, Ye Weimian (played actress Ji Meihan) is seen trying on different outfits at a boutique. When she put on a printed dress, Luo Zheng’s Gu Yanluo looks at her disapprovingly and says that she looks “like a Filipino maid.”

The drama, which premiered on February 6, caused an uproar in the Philippines after a netizen shared a screenshot of the controversial scene on Twitter.

“As a Filo, this is very offensive and disrespectful,” wrote a Twitter user who goes by the handle @kthseokkity. 

Netizens took to social media to slam the drama, calling it “rude” and “insulting”, and urged others to boycott the series.

In response, iQIYI Philippines issued an apology on Twitter, saying that it “is not ok” and that they have edited out the scene. 

​iQIYI later released a statement saying the series has been pulled from its site and that it is “aware of the growing reactions to a scene on the show … that puts Filipina overseas workers in a negative light”.

"It is not our intention to offend and upset our Filipino subscribers and we are sorry. The show has been removed from the platform and we are continuously working towards making sure that incidents like this do not happen again," said iQiyi.

Make My Heart Smile is a Chinese drama about a group of college students who become friends, fall in love, and chase their dreams together.