Former bodybuilder Lai Wee Kiat, founder of the SgInstaBabes influencer collective, came under fire after offering a paid membership programme promising subscribers photos of young women in revealing outfits and private yacht parties. Blogger Xiaxue was among his vocal critics, alleging he exchanged inappropriate messages with a 15-year-old girl; the Instagram and Patreon pages were taken down amid the backlash.
Lai Wee Kiat launched the programme on Patreon with monthly tiers reportedly running up to S$5,000, promising subscribers photos of the women in his SgInstaBabes collective in revealing outfits such as bikinis — plus access to private yacht parties alongside them. The backlash was swift and severe: critics said the scheme resembled a social escort service, and many raised alarms about the ages of the women involved and the risk of sexual exploitation.
Xiaxue, one of Singapore's most prominent bloggers, became his most vocal critic, posting screenshots to her Instagram Stories that she said showed Lai Wee Kiat cajoling a 15-year-old girl to send him bikini photos, describing her as "crazy hot" and trying to ask her out on a date. Lai Wee Kiat denied anything improper, insisting there was "nothing sleazy about it" and "nothing beyond partying and fun," adding that events would be held in groups. Amid the furore, SgInstaBabes' Instagram and Patreon pages were taken down. Lai Wee Kiat later said that if the pages ever went live again, he would no longer be in charge.
The controversy hit a collective that had real commercial clout: SgInstaBabes had more than 100,000 followers and had worked with brands including Ultra Music Singapore, oBike and Okamoto. Brands moved quickly to distance themselves — oBike said its engagement had been a one-off campaign and that it was no longer working with anyone from the collective. In damage control, Lai Wee Kiat announced a revamp — members would be 16 and above, alcohol-related events strictly 18 and above — and apologised for past behaviour, conceding that "some of the stories have been exaggerated, but I know parts of them are true."
The SgInstaBabes saga became a landmark scandal in Singapore's influencer history: an early, ugly lesson in what happens when the monetisation of young women's images collides with public revulsion. It also cemented Xiaxue's role as the industry's most feared critic — and left a permanent question mark over an entire generation of "collectives" built on similar premises. Years later, the case is still cited in Singaporean discussions about influencer accountability and where the line sits between content and exploitation.