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Hundreds of admirers lined up at the courthouse to catch a glimpse of the reclusive wealthy Chinese heiress whose $1.5 million Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce was involved in a head-on collision.
But designer-clad LanLan Yang, 23, disappointed her huge new fan club by being a no-show in person at court and appearing by video link instead.
Yang was set to appear at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court but instead made an appearance via screen from her lawyer’s office, wearing one of her signature haute couture hats.
Yang is alleged to have been driving her customized Rolls-Royce Cullinan in the early hours of July 27 when she collided with a van operated by George Plassaras, the chauffeur for radio personality Kyle Sandilands, who was not present in the vehicle.
Plassaras was hospitalized with serious injuries, and Yang faced charges from NSW Police for causing bodily harm through misconduct and refusing or failing to undergo a breath test.
Mysterious Yang has since gone viral in Australia and China over her extraordinary designer wardrobe and apparent wealth.
Her fame and mystique grew after the Daily Mail revealed she owned two Rolls-Royces and lived in a luxury apartment in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
The courtroom was packed with people, with many spilling into the foyer, as Yang briefly appeared via video link wearing a stylish designer bucket hat and tailored suit.
LanLan seen reporting for bail on Wednesday
A group of young women turned up to get a glimpse of elusive viral sensation LanLan Yang
Hundreds of people lined the block as hundreds more were inside
Her lawyer, Mr Yu, said she was not in a position to enter a plea because ‘the police have indicated there will be additional charges’.
The case was adjourned to September 26, with Yang’s bail to continue.
The high-profile case has captured the attention of Chinese Australians intrigued by Yang’s identity and the origins of her opulent wealth, which remains undisclosed.
‘I think a lot of Chinese people overseas or in mainland [China] have mixed feelings and are ambivalent [about LanLan],’ one new LanLan fan told the Daily Mail.
‘Hate, love, gossipy- it’s very rare to see, or have the opportunity to see, someone in person who is ultra wealthy and has power.
‘You don’t see 23-year-olds who can drive two Rolls-Royces.’
Her on-screen court appearance comes days after the Daily Mail confronted Yang in Double Bay where she was seen withdrawing wads of $50 bills at a bank ATM.
She kept her head down and climbed into a chauffeur-driven minivan, a stark contrast to the two luxury vehicles she is known to own.
Fans posing outside court on Friday
Fevered Chinese social media speculation also claimed she uses the English name ‘Wendy’ and that she is a former University of NSW student whose fortune stems from the iron ore trade
LanLan seen without a mask with her two minders leaving Waverley Polie station
In recent days, speculation has taken off in China, where she has become the subject of wild, inaccurate claims that had gone viral on Chinese platforms Douyin and Weibo, plus mainstream Chinese media reports.
A series of widely-viewed Chinese social media posts falsely claimed Yang paid an $80million bond for bail from Waverley Local Court in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
They also claimed, without naming a source or providing any corroboration, that authorities found she had $270 billion sitting in a local bank account when she was arrested.
The first claim about the bond is demonstrably false – a court spokesperson told the Daily Mail there was ‘no monetary condition stipulated by police’ as part of her bail agreement.
The bank balance claim is impossible to confirm, but if true, it would make the relatively unknown figure close to the world’s richest person.
Fevered Chinese social media speculation also claimed she uses the English name ‘Wendy’ and that she is a former University of NSW student whose fortune stems from the iron ore trade.
Some users even claim her minder – seen when the Daily Mail confronted Yang outside Rose Bay Police Station last month – has the rank of lieutenant colonel with the Beijing police special duty unit. This could not be confirmed and is likely false.
The crash left Plassaras with a broken spine, ribs, hips and femurs, a ruptured spleen and diaphragm, and a torn-open abdomen.
Since the incident the elusive Yang has gone viral over her extraordinary designer wardrobe and apparent wealth
She has been notoriously camera-shy on previous occasions when confronted by media
The wealthy heiress seen withdrawing cash on Wednesday
lanlan’s Tiffany blue Rolls-Royce Cullinian
Sandilands described his chauffeur Mr Plassaras as the ‘greatest employee ever’.
‘What did [he] say when he was taken away in the ambulance? He asked for his mobile phone so he could do what?’ he said.
‘This is a guy at 4.30 in the morning after he has been cut out of his vehicle, he’s been trapped in his van for an hour, this poor bloke.’
The Daily Mail understands he is in a stable condition in hospital.
Meanwhile, neighbours at Yang’s elite rental block, which caters to ‘discerning clientele,’ describe her as polite but rarely seen.
They say she occupies the building’s prized penthouse and decorates her car with ultra-exclusive Labubu toys.
She also owns a second unregistered white Rolls-Royce Ghost Convertible worth up to $800,000, which sits unused in her Vaucluse penthouse garage.
The building’s car lift can only take 3,000kg, forcing her to park her heavier Cullinan SUV in the street.
Inside her lavish penthouse home in Sydney’s east
She also owns a second unregistered white Rolls-Royce Ghost Convertible worth up to $800,000, which sits unused in her Vaucluse penthouse garage
CCTV footage of the crash appears to show Yang’s SUV veering into oncoming traffic before the head-on impact.
Yang is on conditional bail ahead of her next court appearance.
Her bail conditions ban her from driving, require her to remain in her penthouse between 8pm and 6am, and to report to police three times a week.
