​Chinese actor Gao Yunxiang (also known as Gavin Gao) was arrested last year under suspicions of sexual assault, causing all his projects to be put on hold indefinitely. Among them was Chinese historical series The Legend of Ba Qing, which also stars Chinese actress Fan Bingbing and Taiwanese actor Dylan Kuo.

At the time, there was talk of Dylan taking over Yunxiang’s role, which were later proven to be false. The original air date of April 19, 2018, was pushed back indefinitely and has yet to secure a broadcast slot till date, especially since Yunxiang’s court case is still ongoing in Australia.

Bingbing, who plays the main character Ba Qing, reportedly invested NT$1.2 billion (approximately S$53.8 million) into the show.

According to reports, the distributor of the series, Zhejiang Talent, which has Bingbing among its main investors, will be subjected to an estimated RMB 700 million (S$140.2 million) and NT$40 million (S$1.75 million) in penalties as they previously sold the broadcast rights to various stations.

This penalty seems to be inevitable as both Yunxiang and Bingbing landed themselves into hot soup last year, and might not be able to make their return on small screens in the Mainland even if they were to make a showbiz comeback.

As such, Zhejiang Talent is said to have asked for the assets under Beijing Yi Xuan Culture Company, which is under Yunxiang and his wife’s name, to be frozen. The company is reported to have an estimated RMB 64 million (S$12.82 million) of assets under its name.

​In August 2018, Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu sparked a debate online due to her comments on the reality show, Happiness Trio.

Whilst on the show, one of the meals that Barbie and her husband, Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei had included whole prawns. It was during that meal when Barbie revealed that she does not eat prawns unless they are peeled for her by her husband.

Her comments largely divided netizens into two camps, with one taking Barbie’s side and praising her for her assertive ways, and another denouncing her for her “princess syndrome”.

​On a recent episode of Nicholas’s food show, Chef Nic, the actor, as well as special guest, Taiwanese actress Janine Chang headed over to a market in the Zhongshan District in Taipei, Taiwan.

Whilst at the market, the duo were presented with an array of fresh seafood to sample and try. However, when Janine offered Nicholas some crab legs, the 38-year-old declined.

Nicholas then revealed that that he only eats crab claws, and not the legs as he’s “too lazy” to get the flesh out of the its shell, to which Janine replied that it was a pity, as the legs of the crab have the sweetest flesh.

​To Janine’s surprise, Nicholas then laughingly declared with a roll of his eyes that if “the females don’t prepare it (for me), I won’t eat it,” to Janine’s astonishment. Eventually, she took on the task of deshelling the legs for Nicholas, to his delight.

He also explained his stance later on, sharing that he has always hoped to find someone to eat crabs together with. “(If there’s someone who is) willing to share with me, I’ll share with them, I don’t wish for (the crab legs) to go to waste as well,” he said, while munching on the crab meat that Janine had prepared for him.

Nicholas's comments reminded netizens of Barbie’s earlier comments, reigniting the debate once again, with some joking that Nicholas had “mounted an attack on Barbie’s ideology” with his comments.

​Taiwanese singer Tank’s single, ‘Personal Angel’ was a huge hit in 2007, with the song playing in almost every radio station. However, he soon disappeared from the spotlight, and only returned in 2017, making a musical comeback under his real name, Lu Jianzhong. 

In a recent interview, the 36-year-old shed light on the reason behind his disappearance from the spotlight. He revealed that he wasted almost nine years of his life being under the influence of alcohol and drinking excessively, with the main catalyst being the death of his then-24-year-old sister.

“I only have one older sister and the loss of someone so important to me caused me to lose myself,” he said. The addition of the stress from his work and personal life caused him to fall into a slump, and he could only rely on alcohol to numb his pain.

His reliance on alcohol got to a point where he almost lost his life on multiple occasions, as he has a hereditary heart disease that does not allow him to consume alcohol. Once, due to the copious amounts of alcohol in his blood, the device used to help his heart disease malfunctioned. On another occasion, he was involved in a drink-driving accident, where he crashed into a motorbike. It was only when he vomited out blackened blood three days later that he realised the severity of his injuries from said accident. He was then rushed straight to the hospital for treatment.

Recalling the incidents, Tank said, “At that time I felt that my life was devoid of hope, and knew that I was on the brink of death. The doctor even had me sign a document, acknowledging that the hospital would have no fault if I were to pass on in their hospital.”.

After that, he made up his mind to go cold turkey, and abstain from alcohol. After a number of failed attempts, he managed to succeed, with the help of a newfound belief in religion, as well as music and regular exercise.

When asked what he’d do if there ever arose a situation like a work event or banquet where he’d have to drink, he answered, “Those who know me all understand that I can’t drink due to my heart disease. The producers will not go out of their way to make me drink as well.”.

Additionally, he let on that he divorce his wife in 2014, with the custody of their daughter going to his former spouse. He shared in the interview that his ex-wife had seen the changes in him, and that both parties had agreed after discussion to allow him custody of his daughter. Tank also shared that he’s currently learning how to balance his work and family life, to become a better father that will not disappoint his daughter.

When asked about his relationship status, Tank shared that he’s currently single and that he has no plans to remarry. 

Even after over a decade in the notoriously volatile and competitive biz called K-pop, Girls’ Generation leader Taeyeon has still got it. And by “it” we mean, well, pretty much everything you’d think of: mesmerising stage presence, spine-chilling vocals, smooth dance moves, a substantial and supportive fanbase, doll-like looks et cetera.

The singer, who – believe it or not – turns 30 in March, displayed all that at her Saturday (Jan 12) gig at the Singapore Expo, her very first full-scale solo concert on our sunny shores (she was last here in September as part of the HallyuPopFest line-up). For almost three hours, she alternated seamlessly between several different genres and performance styles, an impressively wide gamut for a one-woman show.

“Today’s the last concert of my ‘s… tour,” she shared wistfully about halfway through the programme. “It’s a concert that I put a lot of hard work and sincerity into, more than any other show I’ve done.”

Then, all of a sudden, Taeyeon started delivering very candid thoughts about not liking to “talk too much about the past”. “There are so many things that are waiting for me that there’s no time to think about the past, because what has passed won’t come back again, right?” she mused. “Maybe that’s why I don’t like the past - because it doesn’t come back.”

While she didn’t go into too much detail, she admitted that “there’s bitterness thinking about the past”, so she avoids doing so for “self-preservation”. “I don’t know what I’m saying!” she laughed. “Maybe it’s such an emotional day because it’s the last concert [of the tour].”

What is Taeyeon “fearful” about?

Taeyeon’s heart-and-soul-baring session resumed during the encore. “I wanted my New Year’s resolution to be about experimenting with more things, but now when I think about it, I want to spend more time learning how to control myself better and make a ‘me’ that I’m happier with - everyone wants to become the best version of themselves, right?” she said.

“Although actually,” she continued. “I’m a bit fearful because I feel like I’m just drifting here and there, but I think that is also something I have to overcome.”

She then explained that the reason she was being so straightforward was so she could find out if there was anyone else who feels the same way she does (many lightsticks, hands and cheers went up in solidarity). “I need to cherish the fact that so many of you are here for this one person that is me, so I feel that responsibility and will work hard to become a better version of myself.”

We have to say: it’d be brave for anyone to make such open confessions anywhere, let alone for a top idol to do so in a packed arena full of spectators. It’s also not the kind of emotional depth you’d expect at a showcase, much less a K-pop one where the conversations are usually more on a superficial level, so we have to give Taeyeon some major props for being so unflinchingly honest with her fans.

How an audience member got Taeyeon’s attention

Of course, the showcase had its light-hearted and utterly adorable moments as well. For instance, during Taeyeon’s sultry, jazz lounge-like rendition of unreleased track ‘Do You Love Me?’, the audience responded with an enthusiastic “yes!” right after the line “I want to know if you love me”, and unexpected reaction that put a delighted grin on the singer’s face. “I love you too!” she responded after the song ended. Too cute.

Then, after roaming to every corner of the stage so she could have a closer look at her devotees, she singled out a male concertgoer wearing a mask of No Face from Japanese animated film Spirited Away.

“Doesn’t it feel stuffy?” she asked, chuckling. “I’d feel stuffy if I wore a mask at a concert, but if I could get a reaction from the singer with the mask, that would be fun!” Well, that is precisely what happened to the No Face cosplayer (#missionaccomplished and #worthit).

Before the concert came to an end, Taeyeon made time for the obligatory group photo with the audience, but instead of bringing a DSLR-toting shutterbug on stage, she used her very own personal phone to take a selfie video on stage, which was soon shared on her Instagram. There is no other clip like that from the other tour stops on her page, so Singapore, you should be honoured. Just sayin’.

On the latest episode of The Most Beautiful Time, Bruneian singer-actor Wu Chun and his dad headed back to Wu Chun’s parents' alma mater, where they took a trip down memory lane together.

“I really want to see how they were like when they were young, and better understand the stories of their schooling days,” Wu Chun shared.

The duo headed over to the library, at the suggestion of Wu Chun’s dad, where he managed to find the graduation picture of his class. Once he caught a glimpse of his younger self, Wu Chun’s dad couldn’t help but to take a few pictures on his mobile phone to preserve the memory for himself. However, to his disappointment, he couldn’t manage to find the graduation picture of his wife, who was three years younger than him and passed away from cancer over 16 years ago.

Later, Wu Chun’s dad recounted the story of how he wooed his mum. “When she ended class, I’d ride my bicycle to accompany her as she walked back home. At that time, I didn’t know that I was courting her. I just really liked her, so I’d follow her home," he let on.

Then, Wu Chun brought up a question that had been lingering in his mind for a while, “How did you cope when mum passed away?” Wu Chun’s dad then revealed that he had relied on sleeping pills to fall asleep at night, as he was unable to rest well. “I often had insomnia. Her sisters were all very healthy so I couldn’t understand why she contracted such an illness,” he said.

​Back then, when Wu Chun’s mum was diagnosed with cancer, the two adults kept it a secret from their kids, which was what she had wanted, as Wu Chun’s dad revealed.

“She was very strong and said that she did not want the kids to know as there was no need for them to worry. She never showed any signs of sadness as well,” he said. Once Wu Chun heard his words, he could not help but to tear up in sadness as he thought of his mum.

​Chinese singer Li Ronghao lost his iPad on a train in Beijing over the weekend. In the middle of the night, the singer posted on Weibo, requesting for help from the train company, as well as to express his hope that whoever picked his iPad up will not upload its contents online.

The singer’s late night post, which was deleted within an hour, grabbed the attention of fans and netizens alike. In his post, he expressed that he had taken the train in the afternoon, but had only noticed that he had left his iPad behind after alighting. Following which, he immediately made a call to the train conductor, who shared that there was nothing in the cabin. 

As a result, he decided to post on Weibo, asking the train company if he could access the CCTV feed in a bid to get his tablet back.

Later, after deleting the post, Ronghao made a follow-up post, sharing that though the location of his iPad is still unknown, the train company has gotten in touch with him. “I did not want to trouble everyone, so I deleted the post. Thank you,” he wrote.

He also revealed that the tablet contained a video that he had shot for his song, ‘If I Were Young’, in preparation for his concert tour.

“It is my first time learning video editing, as well as dubbing, mixing, subtitling and colour-correcting (for a video),” he wrote.

Adding that the video is still not completed, as dubbing and colour-correcting has yet to be done, the video on the iPad still a work-in-progress.

As such, he expressed his hope that even if the video did manage to find its way online,“(I hope) that everyone will not criticise it too harshly. Let’s just let this matter rest after this, and not mention it anymore,” he concluded.

In 2016, S.H.E member Selina Jen announced her divorce from her husband of five years, lawyer Richard Chang. The news took everyone by surprise, as there were no prior reports of conflict of any sort between the duo.

Despite the split, the ex-couple is still on good terms, as Selina’s sister, singer Lorene Ren, confirmed during her album launch this week. However, while Richard has been spotted out on dates with other women since the divorce, all has been quiet on the dating front for Selina.

Yesterday, a teaser video for an upcoming reality show, Meeting Mr. Right, featuring Selina and Lorene, premiered. In the video, Selina opened up about her relationship woes.

​“It’s really hard to meet someone who makes your heart race,” Selina confessed. Later, the sisters’ father appeared, encouraging them to be brave and pursue love, declaring, “Dad's here, don’t be afraid.”

The show itself is said to be centred around the premise of “fathers watching their daughters find love”, shedding more light on how the current generation views relationships. Meeting Mr. Right also aims to reveal the stories between a father, his daughter, as well as his daughter’s boyfriend, and is currently in the midst of filming.

​Taiwanese actress Vivian Hsu is usually mild-tempered and easygoing, with her social media updates consisting mostly of pictures of her son, 3-year-old Dalton.

On Wednesday (January 9), however, the actress posted a very uncharacteristic update on her Facebook. Consisting of a simple black-and-white text picture, the post read, “I've never harmed anyone in this life, why must you be sly and try to harm me…I’m not familiar with the frightful and evil you. If there’s a god in this world, they will definitely take care of the black-hearted you! Just wait!”

Later, the 43-year-old shared a statement through her manager in response to the media’s queries regarding her post. 

“My mum often told us three kids that we must treat everyone kindly. I believe that he has already seen that I know of his behaviour. I hope that he will not continue to abuse his power to start rumours that harm the innocent. If it happens again, I will not tolerate it anymore! Thank you (the media) for your concern!”

Vivian has always had a good reputation amongst her fellow celebrity colleagues. Last year, when she made her showbiz comeback with the film The Devil Fish, a number of her good friends, including Taiwanese model-actress Lin Chi-ling as well as Taiwanese actresses Alyssa Chia and Ruby Lin, all posted on their respective social media pages to show their support for her. The director of the film has also praised Vivian for her hardworking and humble ways.

​It seems that neither the tabloids nor the general public has any intentions of cooling down with the speculative reports regarding the identity of Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung’s baby daddy.

First, it was rumoured that the father of 2-month-old ‘Little Prince’ was a wealthy Singaporean businessman, then a Chinese businessman. Later, it was said that the father was actually Cecilia’s ex-husband, Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse. Then, the father of ‘Little Prince’ became Chinese director Stephen Chow. All these reports were swiftly denied by Cecilia’s work studio, which has repeatedly called out for these baseless speculations to come to an end.

Now, netizens are speculating that the father might be 29-year-old Taiwanese actor, He Meng Huai.

Meng Huai and Cecilia once appeared together in reality show The Goddess’s Choice, where three female celebrity ‘goddesses’ would travel with a number of male contestants on a ‘romantic holiday’, where the latter has to try and capture the hearts of the women. On the show, Meng Huai and Cecilia had a number of interactions, with Meng Huai confessing his love for Cecilia. As a result, it was rumoured that the two of them were dating, and that they are currently engaged.

Recently, Meng Huai posted a selfie of him with a baby boy with the caption, “Super Dad”. Many netizens then speculated that it might be Cecilia’s Little Prince in the picture, and wished the couple well in their relationship.

However, Cecilia’s work studio has refuted these reports, accusing Meng Huai of intentionally posting the picture and causing a misunderstanding. “We’ve denied similar rumours repeatedly in the past. Have you set aside your integrity, just to get some free publicity! (We are) firmly denouncing these lies, and deny these reports.”

Cecilia confirmed last month that she had indeed given birth to her third child, nicknamed ‘Little Prince’, after weeks of speculation. She also has two older sons, Lucas and Quintus, with ex-husband Nicholas Tse.

​Following the conclusion of their individual contracts with HIM International Music, the three members of Taiwanese girl group S.H.E left the company, and will be striking out on their own under their own respective companies. Although the girls have confirmed multiple times that they will still be continuing as a group, the rights to the S.H.E name, as well as all the songs released under the S.H.E name, still belong to HIM International Music.

In a previous interview, member Ella Chen revealed that the trio is currently enlisting the help of Selina’s ex-husband, lawyer Richard Chang, to help mediate their discussions with the company for these rights.

Yesterday (Jan 9), Selina Jen’s younger sister, Lorene Ren, held a press conference for her new album, where she shared that Selina and Richard are her role models. “I was there when they (Selina and Richard) were talking (about work); they are friends with each other,” she shared.

Adding that as they were very close in the past, it’s not hard for them to remain friends even after divorcing. She also revealed that Selina is still attending vocal lessons for her voice, after losing her voice before S.H.E’s anniversary concert last year. “She’s attending vocal lessons; it’s true that her condition is a little different,” Kirsten revealed.

Selina and Richard went their separate ways in 2016, five years after tying the knot in 2011.