Actress Pan Lingling has drawn support from celebrity hairstylist David Gan over her falling out with fellow actress Hong Huifang.

Hong had ended her friendship with Pan via a lengthy WhatsApp message that was sent recently to 50 of their mutual friends.

Over the weekend, an Instagram story that Gan posted was widely shared.

Instagram stories disappear after 24 hours, but netizens had captured screenshots.

In the post, he posted a photo of Pan along with the message: "I've known you since the 90s and she has always been very traditional and altho some might find her old fashion, I on the other hand know her well enough and always find her naivety... very endearing.

"Poor mummy. You should definitely continue to believe in yourself and if you think it is wrong then stand by it no matter what k? I'll be here for you dear friend! Jia you!"

Jia you in Mandarin means to keep it up.

In an Instagram post dated Sunday, he wrote: "Just to clarify, everyone can interpret my post anyway they want but all I'm saying is as a Mother you would always be concerned for your child."

He could not be reached for comment.

Pan, 49, and Hong, 58, have known each other for more than 20 years and have worked together as early as 1988 in the drama The Golden Quest.

Unhappiness had apparently been brewing between the two for a while.

But the last straw came when Pan allegedly made some comments about Hong's children with actor Zheng Geping - daughter Tay Ying, 22, and son Calvert Tay, 18 - at a gathering about a month ago.

Allegedly, Pan had passed comments about Calvert's rumoured relationship and had suggested he get inoculated against sexually transmitted diseases.

At the time, he was rumoured to be dating actress Julie Tan, 25.

Pan has apologised to Tan's mother, according to Chineselanguage daily Lianhe Wanbao.