Xiaxue's shocking announcement: separating from husband of 13 years

Xiaxue, whose real name is Wendy Cheng, is a well-known Singaporean influencer who is known for her sometimes controversial opinions. She is currently in the spotlight following the sudden announcement of her separation from her husband of 13 years, Mike Sayre.

(All images are from Xiaxue on Instagram, unless otherwise stated)

Xiaxue rose to fame in the mid-2000s as one of Singapore's first social media celebrities, winning awards and sponsorships for her blog, which documented her life and experiences.

As an influencer, Xiaxue's candid nature has also led to several controversies, such as her e-scuffle with plus-size model La'Shaunae Steward. According to The Straits Times, Xiaxue encountered backlash after body-shaming Steward in a tweet.

Another incident involved Xiaxue exposing influencer marketing firm Gushcloud for faking influencer statistics and deceiving customers. This revelation led to a massive scandal and significantly impacted Gushcloud's reputation in the industry.

Mothership announced that on July 21, 2020, Clicknetwork, a Singapore-based reality and lifestyle channel, would no longer be working with Xiaxue as a host due to perhaps one of her most damning controversies: racism. The channel had previously collaborated with Xiaxue on the series "Xiaxue's Guide To Life" since 2011.

The same report from Mothership notes that Xiaxue had tweets from 2010 that included racist comments towards foreign workers of Indian and Bangladeshi origin in Singapore, which implied that they were sex offenders on the basis of race.

In an effort to protect their public image, Clicknetwork released a public statement on the matter, stating that they are “against racism, bigotry, and hate” and will no longer be working with Xiaxue given that the tweets had shed light on the influencer’s (then) racist nature.

Even though she has been involved in many controversies, Xiaxue is a big deal in the Singaporean influencer scene and still remains one of Singapore’s top influencers in 2023.

Xiaxue and the American Mike Sayre first connected online in 2005. After frequent trips between the US and Singapore, he eventually moved to Singapore for Xiaxue.

In 2010, Xiaxue and Sayre got married at Forlino's restaurant at One Fullerton, marking the beginning of their life together as a married couple after almost 5 years of dating.

In 2013, Xiaxue and Sayre welcomed their son, Dashiel, affectionately known as Dash, into their lives. Dash is frequently featured in Xiaxue’s socials, including her then-web series 'Xiaxue’s Guide To Life.'

In an Instagram post on April 5, 2023, Xiaxue revealed that she and Sayre have been separated for a long time and are now ending their marriage after 17 years together.

Xiaxue shared that the decision to separate was not easy, but they had a "good run with loads of love, happiness, and memories" during their time together.

In the post, the influencer emphasized that Xiaxue and Sayre's focus as a now-separated couple will be on co-parenting Dash and supporting each other as they move forward with their separate lives.

Xiaxue asked her followers for privacy, acknowledging that separation is difficult and made more challenging by having to share it with so many people.

Even as they go their separate ways, fans and followers of Xiaxue and Mike Sayre will no doubt remain interested in their journey.