Anna Shay and Christine Chiu are the frequently feuding stars of Netflix’s Bling Empire. Constantly jockeying for the top position in the socialite hierarchy, these ladies never pass up the opportunity to passive-aggressively slight one another. There was an incident when Anna purposefully gave Christine the wrong time on a party invitation, so Christine showed up as the other guests were leaving. Then, there was the time Christine wore a Louis Vuitton necklace she knew Anna also owned to Anna’s party, meaning Anna would be perceived as a follower if she wore the same necklace.
Both Bling Empire stars are from affluent families. Chiu comes from a wealthy family in Taiwan but was cut off from the family (and their wealth), although she hasn’t shared the reason why. She is now married to rich plastic surgeon Dr. Gabriel Chiu. Shay’s father was the founder of Pacific Architects and Engineers, a defense contract company hired by the USA government and the United Nations. After her father’s passing, Shay and her brother sold the company for $1.2 billion.
During one notorious exchange, Chiu referred to Mellerio, a fine jewelry shop in Paris, as the oldest jewelry shop in Paris. Shay disagreed, saying that this honor belongs to another fine jewelry boutique called Boucheron. Self-proclaimed “couture collector” Chiu couldn’t let the argument go. What would have been a momentary disagreement for most people became another opportunity for the women to fight.
It turns out that Chiu was right. Boucheron was founded in 1858 and has served such famous customers as the Russian Imperial family and some of the British royals. Mellerio was founded much earlier, in 1613. With such a contentious relationship, Chiu is no doubt relieved to have been the winner of this oddly specific argument.
Though this argument was easily cleared up, fans can be sure there will be many more. Shay is known for her desire to one-up everyone and Chiu is not one to back down or play nice. Of course, with so much drama, some fans have started to wonder if Bling Empire is scripted. The show's executive producer denies allegations that the show is scripted. No matter what, this series has started getting attention as a guilty pleasure.
Though the next season of Bling Empire hasn’t been announced yet, the show already has a dedicated fanbase who can’t get enough of the drama. In this world of mansions, European vacations, lavish parties, and expensive jewelry, there’s sure to be plenty of excitement.