Here's Why Covid Wasn't A Problem On Netflix's 'Bling Empire'

Reality TV is a great form of escapism, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. However, popular franchises like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Bachelor have worked to incorporate the pandemic into their storylines, making it a lot harder to forget about the woes of the world. However, Netflix's new show Bling Empire doesn't have this problem, as Season 1 showcased a group of super wealthy Asian American friends jetting around the world and attending glamorous parties — in other words, doing things that are pretty much impossible today. With so many pre-pandemic antics going on, it's easy to wonder when, exactly, Bling Empire was filmed.

While Season 1 clearly predates quarantine, viewers may be surprised to find out just how long ago it was filmed. In a Jan. 11 interview with Los Angeles news station KTLA5, Christina Chiu's husband Dr. Gabriel Chiu confirmed Bling Empire filming wrapped around two years ago. That means most of the first season was filmed in 2019 — and that definitely tracks with the cast's social media history.

For instance, Christina threw a Chinese New Year party to ring in the year of the pig in the premiere episode. The most recent Year of the Pig was in 2019, and since Christine posted about the event in February of that year, it seems like filming started around the same time.

Viewers can also get a pretty good idea of when Season 1 filming ended from the cast's Instagrams. Christine posted about the Las Vegas shopping trip she took with her co-stars in the finale on Oct. 17, 2019. Also, Cherie Chan hosted a 100 Day Celebration for her son Jevon in the finale, and Jamie Xie shared a video of herself wearing the same outfit she wears to that party on Oct. 21, 2019, making it pretty obvious that filming wrapped up sometime that October.

Although fans will have to wait to see if Bling Empire gets renewed for a second season, they can definitely expect to find the cast in much different places in their lives than they were in Season 1 — for, uh, obvious reasons.

Bling Empire Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.