Singapore actress Chen Xiuhuan has spoken out about the abrupt closure of True Fitness, revealing that she had held a lifetime membership with the gym since 2017.
The 55-year-old actress said she was “sad and disappointed” after learning that True Fitness and True Yoga had ceased operations with immediate effect. She had been a regular at the gym for years, working out almost three times a week.
Chen said she had booked a workout session shortly before the closure. The following morning, she opened the True Fitness app and discovered that all the outlets had shut down.
The timing was particularly frustrating because she had also been considering signing up for another personal training package with the gym just days before it closed.
Her experience mirrors that of hundreds of other True Fitness and True Yoga customers who were caught off guard by the sudden shutdown.
True Fitness and True Yoga announced on Sept 10 that they would cease operations immediately after being placed under provisional liquidation. The companies said they were unable to continue operating because of their liabilities.
The Singapore operations are part of the True Singapore Group, which also runs TFX and Yoga Edition. Provisional liquidators from RSM Singapore have been appointed to take control of the companies’ affairs and manage the liquidation process.
The closure has left members uncertain about whether they will recover money paid for unused memberships, personal training sessions and other prepaid packages.
According to the Consumers Association of Singapore, 241 complaints had been received by Sept 11 from affected consumers, with reported losses exceeding S$609,000. CASE said it was working with the provisional liquidator to clarify arrangements for affected customers and the information required to submit claims.
Chen is among several members who had committed substantial sums to long-term or lifetime memberships.
Other True Fitness customers told The Straits Times that they had paid between S$8,000 and S$9,000 for lifetime memberships, in addition to annual maintenance fees. Some members had been with the gym for a decade or longer and are now unsure whether they will receive refunds for the unused portion of their memberships.
The sudden closure has also affected staff and instructors, many of whom said they were given little warning.
About 100 former True Fitness and True Yoga employees gathered at the company’s headquarters after being informed that the businesses had entered provisional liquidation.
The financial problems behind the closure appear to have been building for some time.
For the year ended Dec 31, 2025, the Singapore fitness business recorded revenue of about HK$181.2 million but a loss of approximately HK$34.3 million. Its liabilities stood at about HK$555.5 million against assets of around HK$149.7 million at the end of that year.
By Aug 31, 2026, total liabilities had risen to about HK$633.8 million, leaving the business with net liabilities of approximately HK$429.3 million.
Parent company Kontafarma China Holdings attributed the difficulties to increasingly intense competition, rising operating costs and changing consumer habits. The company also pointed to competition from boutique gyms, condominium fitness facilities, online training platforms, mobile apps and virtual coaching.
For long-time customers such as Chen, however, the financial problems have translated into a far more personal disappointment: a membership that was expected to last for life has suddenly been left in limbo.
With the companies now undergoing liquidation, affected members will have to await further information from the provisional liquidators on how and when claims can be submitted and whether any money can ultimately be recovered.
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