Warning: Spoilers ahead for Bling Empire season 1 and beyond.
If there’s one thing Bling Empire wants you to ponder at the end of its first season, it’s the future of star Kelly Mi Li and her estranged “ex”-boyfriend Andrew Gray. In the last sequence of the season finale, “Will You Marry Me,” Mi Li leaves the surprise engagement party of Cherie Chan and Jamie Xie. “This is what love is and it makes me realise how hard it is to find somebody — the one that you want to spend the rest of your life with,” Mi Li says about the party. With that epiphany, she rushes to Gray’s new rental home.
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In the closing shot of the season, we see Mi Li and a shirtless Gray embrace. She wraps her arms around his neck, he gives her a kiss on the check, and then they close the door for some private time, whatever that may be. This sultry scene is a far cry from Mi Li and Gray’s multiple debilitating arguments over the first half of Bling Empire and their eventual breakup in fourth episode “Beverly Hills Heartbreak.”
Considering the fact that Bling Empire season 1 was filmed about two full years ago over the course of 2019, it’s impossible not to wonder if Mi Li and Gray have officially gotten back together — and maintained their often difficult relationship — in the ensuing months. The answer, straight from Mi Li herself, is a resounding yes.
“We are doing really great. After the show wrapped, we spent about five months [separately] by ourselves. We did a lot of individual therapy and really gave each other space,” Kelly Mi Li told Refinery29 over the phone on the premiere day of Bling Empire. “I’m so proud of him for how far he came in this short time.”
As Bling Empire viewers saw during season 1, the couple — who met at a mutual friend’s birthday party six years ago, according to Mi Li — split up and Gray moved into his own place. They are still in “separate households” now, she confirms. “The show forced us to face our problems head-on. It was difficult, but at the same time, now looking back, I’m so happy we did that … I personally came out better and stronger,” Mi Li said. “We’re both still growing … He’s respecting my healthy boundaries and I learned how to set boundaries as well.”
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Fans may be surprised to hear about Mi Li and Gray’s reconcilliation following the spirited romantic advances of their co-star Kevin Kreider. In Bling Empire’s fifth episode, “Private Lies,” Mi Li and model Krieder go on a date; even today, the former is “happy” with the experience. “We had fun. But at the same time, I realised I see him like a brother,” Mi Li admitted. “To this day we still have a good friendship. We talk at least once a week and I’ll always ask about his love life. I will tease him … I see him all the time and I give him love advice now and then.”
While Mi Li appreciates her friendship with Kreider, she continues to save her highest praise for former Nickelodeon Power Ranger Gray. In the face of the many issues on display over Bling Empire’s first season — including an early-season tirade in Paris — Mi Li said she is “proud” of Gray’s personal work since filming wrapped. “I’m proud of him for digging deeper, for realising a lot of this comes from childhood,” Mi Li said.
Now, she hopes to share her new relationship with the world after the drama of Bling Empire season 1. “From pre-filming to now, Andrew and I — we’re just different people. We’ve been through so much,” Mi Li said. “That’s only chapter 1. [Viewers] are looking at chapter 1. Hopefully we’ll have more chapters to show them, and they’ll see the full story.”
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