Update: Cheng has denied claims of trying to extend the protection order as the case is still ongoing.
Social media influencer Wendy Cheng, known online as Xiaxue, is locked in a legal battle to muzzle one of her critics for promoting a boycott campaign against her over past racist comments.
A legal firm told Coconuts Singapore today that they were defending a woman identified only as Elouise from Cheng’s attempts to stop her from urging brands to drop the controversial influencer whose brash personality commands a large following of fans and haters.
“Wendy Cheng seeks a protection order and a stop publication order against our client,” the law firm of Eugene Thuraisingam said in a statement. “Our client is defending the proceedings, which are ongoing.”
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Elouise said the high-profile firm had offered its services pro bono.
A Protection Order and Stop Publication Order are court orders under the Protection from Harassment Act to “remove any publication that is the cause of harassment” and “stop publishing a false statement, or any substantially similar statement, within a specified time.”
Elouise had claimed that Cheng requested to extend the protection order had withdrawn it in the end. Cheng denied this and said that the case is ongoing.
“It is untrue that I withdrew the protection order. The case is still ongoing. In fact, I managed to get an expedited protection order and interim stop publication order against her successfully which made her remove her posts about me,” she told Coconuts Singapore after this story originally published and she had consulted with her counsel.
“I’m surprised she made a public comment, as the case is still ongoing. As such I’m not going to make any further comment about it for now,” she added.
The dispute stems from an episode in July when Cheng’s past comments resurfaced online.
After the influencer’s criticism of opposition MP Raeesah Khan led police to investigate the lawmaker’s Facebook comments, people put the spotlight on Cheng’s past racist tweets, some of which were even reported to the police.
The police announced last week that no action would be taken against Cheng for lack of evidence.
Other stories you should check out:
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