{
  "id": 9530630,
  "title": "Actress Leila Tong sued over alleged contract breach and ‘manipulative conduct’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/actress-leila-tong-sued-over-alleged-contract-breach-and-manipulative-9530630",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T08:59:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3368644/actress-leila-tong-sued-over-alleged-contract-breach-and-manipulative-conduct"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Hong Kong television actress Leila Tong has been sued for breach of contract, manipulative behavior, and coercive actions, according to a High Court writ filed by her former management agency, Tenjinmura Ongaku Limited. The lawsuit, which was reported by the South China Morning Post, alleges that Tong abandoned her professional duties while suffering from depression and altered her appearance without her agency's consent. The dispute arose after their professional relationship ended in May 2024.\n\nTong, whose real name is Leila Kong Lai-na, gained fame as a child actress, notably appearing in John Woo's 1991 film Once a Thief and TVB's drama The Greed of Man in 1992. She signed with TVB in 2000 and went on to appear in numerous series, earning multiple nominations for the Most Improved Female Artiste Award. Tong has since retired from acting and relocated to New Zealand with her two children.\n\nThe writ alleges that Tong engaged in a pattern of threatening, self-harming, and manipulative conduct between 2021 and mid-2024, aimed at compelling her agent, Cheang Pui-ying, to promote her social media presence. According to the lawsuit, Tong's mental health issues, diagnosed as major depressive disorder, led her to resort to extreme acts of self-harm and frequently withdraw from professional obligations when asked by her agent. Instances described in the filing include Tong going missing in November 2021 and being found inside a tree hollow, and stabbing herself with a fruit knife in February 2022 after Cheang asked her to fulfill professional duties.\n\nTensions escalated in early 2022 when Tong allegedly held Cheang at knifepoint, claiming she was attempting to restrain herself from harming both of them. She was also reported missing for seven hours in April 2023. The lawsuit accuses Tong of coercive behavior, forcing her agent to create content on her social media accounts, which were outside her normal responsibilities, and altering her social media login credentials after their relationship ended. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and restitution for the work Cheang performed for Tong, as well as access to Tong's social media accounts and a court declaration that her management contract remains valid until September 2028.",
  "summary": "Former Hong Kong television actress Leila Tong Ning has been sued for allegedly breaching her management contract by abandoning her professional duties while suffering from depression and dyeing her hair without her agency’s consent. The High Court writ, filed by agency Tenjinmura Ongaku Limited, also accuses the 44-year-old former Television Broadcasts (TVB) artist of “coercive conduct” and…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
        "title": "Actress Leila Tong sued over alleged contract breach and ‘manipulative conduct’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/actress-leila-tong-sued-over-alleged-contract-breach-and-manipulative",
        "published": "2026-09-24T08:59:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}