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Irene Pyne

If you’ve been watching season one of Bling Empire, we don’t even need to ask: we know you’re a fan of the (hunky) black sheep in this cast of “real-life Crazy Rich Asians ”, Kevin Kreider.
From his adorable naivety when it comes to haute couture (Hermès starts with an “H”, Kevin), to his puppy love for China-born co-star and serial entrepreneur Kelly Mi Li, there’s a lot to love about this mama’s boy from Philadelphia.

via GIPHY

Bling Empire, which debuted on January 15, follows the lives of wildly wealthy Asian and Asian-American socialites and entrepreneurs living in Los Angeles. A cross between Crazy Rich Asians and Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the show offers all the delights of reality television, with a glimpse of sunny Southern California’s Asian subculture.
I can tell you what the Kardashians were like before they got world-famous
Here’s what we know about Kevin Kreider – and why this 37-year-old fitness coach is one to watch.
Yep, he is Korean-American

After getting his DNA test results on-screen, Kreider confirmed that he is 78 per cent Korean.
Spend it like Bling Empire’s Anna Shay
The lifestyle influencer speaks candidly both on and off-screen about being adopted and feeling like the odd one out as the “token Asian” in his hometown in Philadelphia.

via GIPHY

In Bling Empire, Kreider also stands out – as the only cast member not born into a wealthy family.
Speaking to ET Canada after the series aired, Kreider hopes that the new-found fame that Bling Empire brings will help him track down his biological parents in Korea.
He was the first Asian-American to greet guests at Abercrombie and Fitch’s store in NYC
As if it wasn’t obvious by the number of times Kreider took off his shirt in the show, the 37-year-old is a model and fitness influencer with multiple credits to his name.
One of the most significant achievements in his modelling career? Being the first shirtless Asian-American ambassador for Abercrombie & Fitch on New York City’s Fifth Avenue.
Why is Jaime Xie our Bling Empire one to watch?
He’s also been featured in Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness magazines, and has done brand campaigns for Peloton and Gillette.
He kicks Asian stereotypes to the curb
When much of Asian representation in Hollywood leans on stereotypes or portrays Asian characters as meek sidekicks, or “good at kung fu”, Kreider’s confident, sexy demeanour on Bling Empire is a breath of fresh air.

Beyond the reality series, Kreider is passionate about redefining Asian masculinity. As a motivational speaker, Kreider has done talks for TedX and Google about identifying and reclaiming Asian male sexuality in America.
He also starred in a documentary, The Ugly Model, which tracks his life as a Korean-American adoptee, bodybuilder, model and lifestyle coach.
Why Christine Chiu is the couture queen to watch in Netflix’s Bling Empire
He suffered from severe stress-induced hair loss
When Kreider was 30, he developed a stress-induced autoimmune disorder which attacked his hair follicles, causing serious hair loss. On his personal YouTube channel, Kreider has opened up about how he had a rough time living in New York City back in 2013, with financial insecurity as one of the major reasons for his stress.


Although he saw a dermatologist about the condition, Kreider believes he ultimately overcame alopecia areata from practising meditation, moving out of New York, starting strength training, and maintaining a healthy Paleo diet.




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Kevin Taejin Kreider (@kevin.kreider)



He got into the “real life Crazy Rich Asian” circle through Kelly, not Kane

Although Kane Lim was one of the first people Kreider met when he arrived in Los Angeles, the first castmate he ever met was actually Kelly Mi Li.
Meet the real-life Crazy Rich Asians of Netflix’s Bling Empire
Mi Li reached out to Kreider after watching one of his videos on Asian masculinity. Kreider told Bustle Entertainment, “She saw one of my videos and said if you’re ever in LA, let’s meet up.”
The rest, as they say, is reality TV history.
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Netflix’s Bling Empire: who is Kevin Kreider? The Korean-American fitness influencer is friends with Kelly Mi Li and models for Gillette and Abercrombie & Fitch

Who is model, bodybuilder and motivational speaker Kevin Kreider, cast member in the hit Netflix series Bling Empire? Photo: @kevin.kreider/Instagram

=== PHOTO CAPTURED ONLINE=== Kelly Mi Li. Photo: @kellymili/Instagram

Kevin Kreider. Photo: @kevin.kreider/ Instagram

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Kim Lee. Photo: @kimlee/Instagram

Anna Shay of Netflix’s Bling Empire is selling her ‘haunted’ Beverly Hills mansion for US$16 million – but how did she get so rich?

Bling Empire star Anna Shay recently put her Beverly Hills mansion – the backdrop of many memorable moments on the show – on the market. Photos: @annashay93/Instagram, Realtor.com

Photo: realtor.com

Anna on the show. Photo: netflix

Anna Shay. Photo: @annashay93/Instagram

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Christine Chiu with her baby boy Gabriel Christian Chiu III at her husband's plastic surgery clinic in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, the United States. 28JAN19

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Is Bling Empire’s Andrew Gray still dating Kelly Mi Li? 5 things to know about the controversial Netflix reality star, model and Red Power Ranger (yes, really)

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Rihanna followed his Instagram, then Netflix’s Bling Empire called – Kane Lim’s journey from real-life Crazy Rich Asian to reality TV celebrity

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While Bling Empire might be hailed for crossing Crazy Rich Asians with Keeping Up with the Kardashians, hunky black sheep Kevin Kreider isn’t loaded like the rest of the cast – but has done TedX and Google talks on Asian masculinity


With no millions to his name and often no shirt, he’s an odd fit in the show’s money- and fashion-obsessed Southern California world
