Indonesian beauty doctor under police probe as row with influencer turns ugly

Indonesian beauty doctor and social media influencer Richard Lee has been named a suspect in a criminal case following a complaint by a fellow content creator, as their long-running feud moved from online platforms into a police station.\nJakarta police confirmed on Tuesday that Lee was designated a suspect in a case involving alleged violations of health regulations and consumer protection laws, stemming from a report lodged by Samira Farahnaz – known online as “Dokter Detektif” or Doktif – in December.\nPolice spokesman Reonald Simanjuntak said investigators found sufficient preliminary evidence to proceed with the case against Lee.\n“The suspect designation was made on December 15, 2025, against RL,” Reonald told reporters on Tuesday, according to Detik, adding that investigators had summoned Lee for questioning.\nHe said Lee had requested a reschedule after failing to attend an earlier examination and was now expected to appear on Wednesday.\nPolice have not publicly detailed the specific actions alleged against Lee, but Indonesian media reports citing investigators said the case involved suspected breaches of the Health Law and the 1999 Consumer Protection Law, both of which carry prison sentences and fines if a person is convicted under certain provisions.\nThe report against Lee was filed with Jakarta’s metropolitan police, Polda Metro Jaya, by Samira, who is known for posting videos scrutinising and criticising skincare products she claims are unsafe or misleading.\n\nLee, a cosmetic doctor who runs the Athena Beauty Clinic brand and related skincare businesses, has built a large online following by sharing skincare advice, discussing ingredient safety and commenting on products he has said may pose health risks, while also promoting treatments and products linked to his clinics.\nHe has millions of followers on social media, making him one of Indonesia’s most prominent beauty doctors online.\nSamira built her “Dokter Detektif” persona by investigating and publicly calling out suspicious third-party skincare products and marketing claims, often focusing on items that go viral on social media.\nHer content, which sometimes cites laboratory test results, has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers across several social media platforms and made her a polarising figure among brands, consumers and fellow influencers.\nThe dispute between Samira and Lee has been simmering for more than a year, according to Indonesian media reports. It arose after Samira posted videos questioning claims around products linked to Lee and urging her followers to be cautious.\nAccording to Beritasatu, Samira alleged that the ingredients of several beauty products endorsed by Lee were a concern. The police have yet to provide details of Lee’s alleged offences.\nThe investigation into Lee is running in parallel with a separate criminal case involving Samira herself.\nEarlier, South Jakarta Police named her a suspect in an alleged online defamation case after a complaint filed by Lee, accusing her of harming his reputation through her social media content.\n\nThe police said Samira was not detained because the alleged offence fell under Indonesia’s electronic information law, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail, below the threshold for mandatory detention, and that investigators were still pursuing mediation between the two parties.\n“Alhamdulillah, Allahhu Akbar!!! [Praise be to God, God is great]” Samira wrote in a social media post quoted by Beritasatu on Tuesday, celebrating the police’s announcement on Lee.\nIn another post addressed directly to her rival, she wrote: “How are you, @dr.richard_lee? Is your heart OK?” and added: “Just focus on returning the public’s money.”\nSamira also rejected the idea of settling the dispute out of court, writing that Lee’s report against her “will not make Doktif withdraw her report”.\nLee has denied wrongdoing and urged the public not to rely on viral claims. “Drawing conclusions from opinions, not from data,” he said in a video on Saturday, as quoted by Beritasatu.\n“Not everything that goes viral is valid,” he added.\nThe twin cases reflect the increasingly high-stakes nature of Indonesia’s booming skincare and aesthetic industry, where reviews by influencers can quickly shape consumer behaviour.\nIndonesia’s beauty and personal care market was valued at about 146 trillion rupiah (US$8.7 billion) in 2024, according to parliamentary research and industry ministry data.\nThe surge in demand has been accompanied by tighter oversight, with the National Drug and Food Agency announcing repeated crackdowns on illegal and unsafe cosmetics, including dozens of products found to contain hazardous ingredients such as mercury and retinoic acid.\n