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Colgate and Nestle drop Singaporean influencer after alleged workplace harassment claims

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By Shawn Lim, Reporter, Asia Pacific

October 11, 2021 | 3 min read

Brands including Colgate and Nestle-owned beverage Milo have ended their partnerships with Singaporean influencer Sylvia Chan after allegations of workplace harassment emerged.

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An anonymous Instagram account @sgcickenrice has been posting text screenshots and audio recordings

Chan is the co-founder of Night Owl Cinematics (NOC), a Singapore-based production company known for its YouTube channel Ryan Sylvia. The channel rose to fame for its comedy videos, travelogues and lifestyle videos, as well as its food review series Food King.

“Thank you for reaching out to us, and we truly appreciate your sharing this matter with us. We understand the gravity of issues concerning Sylvia. Even though the allegations are still under investigation, we decided to terminate all related collaborations with her,” said Colgate in a reply to a comment on a post on its Instagram page regarding the allegations.

“Rest assured that Colgate does not tolerate any negative behaviors, and we will continue to be the brand that champions optimism. Once again, thank you for reaching out to us, and have a great weekend.”

In response to a direct message on Instagram, Milo said its campaign with Chan has ended and it is not working on any projects with her at the moment.

It added: “As a champion of sports values such as fairness and respect, Milo does not condone any form of unacceptable behavior.”

What happened?

  • An anonymous Instagram account @sgcickenrice has been posting text screenshots and audio recordings where Chan allegedly uses slurs and expletives on her employees.

  • A NOC influencer called Samantha was also singled out in one of the Instagram posts, where Chan reportedly calls her “fucking dumb” and requests an “exit strategy” for the employee.

  • In another post, several NOC influencers were added to a group chat with the company’s lawyers as they appeared to be confused about their contracts and employment status.

  • NOC previously ended its working relationship with influencer Darryl Ian Koshy, known by his stage name as Dee Kosh, after sexual misconduct allegations about him emerged. Koshy was charged with “sexual exploitation of a young person and making obscene films” on August 19 2021.

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