Taiwanese actresses Janine Chang and Ivy Chen have been besties ever since they starred in 2009 Taiwanese drama Black & White together. 

Recently though, there have been rumours that their friendship has soured. Netizens came to that conclusion because of the lack of online interaction between the two 37-year-olds over the past year. After all, these days, are you really friends with a person if they don't exist on your social media? 

According to the netizens, the pair fell out because they have been fighting for the same acting jobs. It's also said that Ivy is now busy with family life after giving birth to her son last year and the differences in their lifestyles have only pulled them further apart. 

Though none of these allegations have been verified, the rumours have started spreading like wildfire on the Internet with more and more people actually believing that the actresses are really no longer friends. 

​Janine has since responded to the rumours in a statement via her manager: "Why are you guys like this? The COVID-19 pandemic is more important during this period, please leave more space [on news outlets] for reports on that." 

And in a show of solidarity, Janine and Ivy posted this same image and caption at the same time on Tuesday (Mar 31) to a) let everyone know they're still friends, and b) remind everyone of just what they should be obsessing about.

"Have you washed your hands today? Remember to do a good job in protecting yourself from the virus!" they wrote. 

Well-played, ladies.

As countries across the globe continue to reinforce their travel bans to curb the spread of COVID-19, families living and working in separate parts of the world have, sadly, been forced apart. 

Among those who have to be away from their loved ones for the forseeable future is Taiwanese actress Vivian Hsu, 45, who left her businessman husband, Sean Lee and her two stepdaughters in Singapore when she flew to Taiwan for work at the end of February.

The Singapore-based star was back in her home country for a myriad of reasons: to announce her return to music by releasing a new single 'Yours Always', to promote her movie Little Big Women, to shoot a commercial for a brand she endorses, as well as to film the drama Who's By Your Side.  

As filming for the drama is expected to last for at least 90 days, Vivian decided to take her son Dalton along with her to Taiwan, as she figured that Sean and the rest of their family could visit them anytime. 

But as the pandemic worsened and both Taiwan and Singapore started to exact strict travel restrictions, it became clear that Vivian would be unable to reunite with her family for the near future. 

According to Vivian, the last time she saw her family was a month and a half ago. Lucky for her, she has her three-year-old son by her side, right? Well, not quite. The star revealed that she left Dalton in the care of her family in Taipei while she films the drama in Taichung, which is located almost three hours away. 

"During the COVID-19 period, I think there should be as much adult supervision as possible so that the children do not run wild. D is currently staying in Taipei with my mother and sister, and my grandmother cooks him his meals daily. And I make it a point to go back to Taipei once a week to see him. He is happy and healthy, and I have no worries” Vivian said, adding that she has also arranged for classes such as music, piano and sports to occupy Dalton’s time.

Ever since her recent COVID-19 scare, Vivian has been very careful when it comes to outdoor shoots. She said that the crew have their temperatures monitored twice a day, frequently wash their hands with soap, wear face masks and take vitamins. The set is also cleaned and disinfected daily. 

"A strong immune system is one of the most important things to have during an epidemic. On set, we are provided fruits, which are rich in vitamin C. We also ensure that we wear face masks at all times when we’re not in front of the camera,” Vivian revealed. 

Vivian may be far away from her family now, but her celeb pals have made sure that she's feeling loved. Take Jerry Yan and Weber Yang, for example. According to Vivian, the Taiwanese actors would visit the set with food and drinks.

“The crew has a strong bond and we are quite close. Everyone is staying united despite the virus. Other than just wearing masks, the director and main cast will take turns to treat everyone to meals..." Vivian said, adding that she has no plans to return to Singapore before filming wraps. 

“I’ll have to finish filming the show first [before returning to Singapore]. Luckily, my husband is supportive and understanding. We video call every day to update one another about our day. I guess we can only have each other in our hearts now,” Vivian said. “During this pandemic, we can only focus on our health and safety.” 

Kevin Cheng’s 28-year-old wife Grace Chan is now an entrepreneur. With the launch of her beauty label Snow Queen, she now joins fellow Hongkong stars Charlene Choi, who owns skincare brand Enfantskin, and Charmaine Sheh, who runs cosmetics line Sh, in the beauty industry.

Snow Queen, which she started with her friend, YouTuber Sharon Yung, was launched last week and promises to use the “highest quality materials that take care of you and your skin”. First on their product line are cotton facial pads, which the brand says can help remove makeup and purify your skin at the same time. The materials for the cotton pads reportedly originate in Japan, and are manufactured in a factory in Taiwan.

According to reports, each box of 60 cotton pads retails at HK$24 (S$4.50), which works out to be about 75 cents per piece, and netizens have remarked that the wallet-friendly prices have convinced them to give Grace's product a chance. 

“Not that I’m complaining, but aren’t these a little too cheap?” one netizen wondered, while another said, “I would have expected a brand that was created by a celeb to be more expensive. Can she really make money by selling cotton pads at this price?”

Others have reasoned that rather than aim for the luxury market, Grace and Sharon could very well be targeting the mass market instead, and that it could work to their advantage in the long run. They have also noted that Grace’s new business venture possibly means she is taking further steps away from her acting career.

​After announcing that she was pregnant with her first child back in November 2018, Grace started cutting back on onscreen work. The 28-year-old has also confessed that she would rather have another baby at this point in her life, and that her entertainment career will take a backseat 'cos of that. 

Grace and Kevin's son Rafael is now 13 months old.

Beloved Hongkong showbiz legend Leslie Cheung may have passed away 17 years ago today (Apr 1), but he is still very much alive in the hearts of his fans, friends, and especially his partner of many years, Daffy Tong. 

In the wee hours of this morning, Daffy updated his Instagram with a new, never-before-seen photo of the couple to mark Leslie's death anniversary.

“You left us 17 years ago, but I know that you are always missing us from another world, and that you are giving us encouragement especially during these grim times,” he wrote. “I hope that everyone will press on and work hard to overcome the pandemic together.”

Before his passing, Leslie was regarded as one of Asia's most popular and iconic stars, finding success as both a singer and an actor. However, he battled depression and, on April 1, 2003, he jumped to his death from the 24th storey of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hongkong.

He was 46 years old when he died, and would have turned 64 this September.

Since he started Instagramming in 2013, Daffy, 60, has been sharing old pictures of Leslie on special occasions, such as their birthdays and Christmas. He also dedicated posts to his late lover on his death anniversary in 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2015.

Leslie and Daffy were childhood friends and their romance blossomed when they were in their 20s. Leslie famously dedicated a song to the “loves of his life” — his mother and Daffy — at a concert in 1997, which is believed to be the moment the star came out of the closet. 

That same year, the couple was spotted by the Hongkong paparazzi, who managed to snap a now-classic photo of them holding hands as Daffy took a nervous glance behind him.

While loyal fans of Leslie usually organise memorial gatherings at various locations on the anniversary of his death, this year’s meet-ups have been called off due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Instead, the commemorative events will be held online.

Taiwanese film distributors have also announced that they will be screening two of Leslie’s most celebrated works, Farewell My Concubine and Days of Being Wild, in theatres.

Taiwanese host Mickey Huang and his wife Summer Meng had to say goodbye to six months of intense wedding planning after the COVID-19 outbreak derailed everything. Just last month, the 48-year-old host announced that his April 19 wedding bash at the Le Méridien Taipei would no longer happen and that he and his 28-year-old bride had come to that decision after taking everyone’s best interests into consideration.

On March 30, which was Mickey's birthday, the host wrote a message on social media to update his followers. “We can’t control how the pandemic pans out, but we can control [who we] love. Loving yourself, loving others and loving our planet,” he said. He then revealed that he and Summer would have to wait until May 2021 to have their wedding banquet as the hotel’s reservations are full till then.

Mickey then went on to reveal a set of photos from their bridal shoot, teasing that there are more to come, which he would eventually share on the day of their wedding banquet.

The photos, which were reportedly shot before the COVID-19 outbreak, have wowed the couple's fans.

“Look at that train on Summer's gown! How many people did it take to help her hold it while she was walking in from the changing room?” one netizen wrote. Another added, “It’s beautiful in pictures, but somehow, it feels like the dress would be even more stunning in person. Look at how it shimmers!”

Guess we would have to wait until May 2021 to see if that's true. 

With COVID-19 numbers escalating by the day, people are getting more and more paranoid about the outbreak and whether they are infected. And that's why netizens have not taken kindly to an April Fools' Day prank by Korean singer Kim Jaejoong.

The JYJ member updated his Instagram today (Apr 1) with a post that said he tested positive for COVID-19, and that he was currently warded in a hospital. The 34-year-old added that he was “too careless” and disregarded warnings given by the government. He also apologised in advance in the event that he had infected anyone else. He then ended the post with, “There’s a lot I want to say. There’s so many people that I want to see…”

The news came as a huge shock as he appeared on a weekly Japanese music show, NHK Utacon, just a day before his announcement. Although there were no audience during the recording due to COVID-19 restrictions, other artistes, including popular idol group Nogizaka46, were present at the studio. His agency quickly responded to media inquiries and said that they would clarify the details.

Soon after, Jaejoong edited his original post with an apology. “To have someone you love infected with a virus is heartbreaking. Despite that, there are still a lot of people who are on the streets, acting as though [nothing bad] will ever happen to them. Because of such people, many are worried that their families and loved ones will fall sick,” he began.

“Among the people I know, there are also many whose loved ones have tested positive [for COVID-19]. This isn’t happening far away from us. Tears aren’t enough if carelessness causes this to become a reality. Let’s all be alert as ever.”

Jaejoong continued, “The prank was out of hand for an April Fools' Day joke. Within a short period of time, many people voiced their concern for me (…) I want to tell everyone that protecting yourself is how you can also protect others. I will be punished accordingly for [my previous] post. I hope everyone will stay healthy.”

​He has since deleted his post, but not before it was widely translated and circulated all over the Internet, with many criticising him for causing undue concern and panic.

“It’s not like he was staying at home like what we’re supposed to be doing,” one netizen wrote. “He’s been in Japan working and going on with his every day life. How is anyone going to take him seriously after this?” Others agreed, adding that his post did nothing to raise awareness on the importance of safe distancing, and that his fans were likely to have been under a lot of stress and anxiety about his health before his clarification.

With the COVID-19 situation gradually improving in China, many stars there have started going back to work. Among them is Angelababy, who was recently photographed on the way to a recording of a variety show.

While many fans were delighted to finally see the 31-year-old out and about in public, there were those who noticed that she wasn't a mask even though she's outdoors.

​Netizens then chastised her for her lack of social responsibility and awareness and commented that she shouldn’t let her guard down even though the spread of the pandemic in China appears to have calmed down. 

However, more observant netizens pointed out that Angelababy did, in fact, have a mask with her. It was in her hand. 

A person who claimed to have witnessed the incident explained that Angelababy was wearing a mask, but she had taken it off temporarily for security checks, which included a facial recognition scan. 

The actress has not responded to the online furor this pic has caused, but she has since been seen wearing a mask whenever she's in public. 

The tragic death of Taiwanese celeb dancer Serena Liu Zhen has cast a dark cloud over the Taiwanese showbiz scene. And a lot of attention has been directed on her grieving husband Shin Lung and their four-year-old daughter Ni Ni, with many celebs offering to help the inconsolable singer babysit his kid. 

One of the latest celebs to lend a helping hand is Dee Hsu, who has three daughters of her own. Serena was a frequent guest on Dee's now-defunct talk show Kang Xi Lai Le, where the pair would often jokingly bicker about who is the better dancer.  

“I spoke with [Shin Lung] at length," said Dee after attending the late star's memorial service. "Both of us feel like [Serena] is still with us. I asked about his daughter. And I told him that he and his daughter can come to my home any time to play with my daughters whenever he is ready. I don’t want her to be alone.”

​Dee continued, “I don’t think anyone is able to describe how he feels in words. [Shin Lung] only said that he’s hurting a lot. The only thing I could say to him is that I will help him in whatever way I can.”

The host also asked the public to give Shin Lung space. “As long as he needs it, we’re always ready to speak to him. If he wants his daughter to have playdates with my daughters, we would do that. If he needs someone to cry with him, we would do that. I just hope that he wouldn't look at [Serena’s] high heels and clothes while he's home alone, because that would be too much grief [for him to handle].”

Dee has three daughters, Elly, 14, Lily, 12, and Alice, 7.

Taiwan’s efforts to combat COVID-19 has drawn praise from all over the world. However, one group that has yet to acknowledge Taiwan’s success is the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

During a televised Skype interview on RTHK last Saturday (Mar 28), Bruce Aylward, the now former assistant director-general of WHO, was accused of dodging questions about the possibility of including Taiwan in the WHO and declining to comment on Taiwan's ability to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. He reportedly even hung up on the reporter when she attempted to dig for more comments.

Since then, there have been several theories as to why Bruce was so reluctant to talk about Taiwan. According to online sources, Taiwan has been denied membership to most international organisations that China is already a part of, including the WHO, the International Olympics Committee and the International Civil Aviation Organization, since the Chinese government considers Taiwan as part of their country. Taiwan, however, identifies as an independent state.

So when the reporter, Yvonne Tong, asked Bruce if the WHO would “reconsider Taiwan’s membership” in view of their capabilities, she was met with a couple of seconds of awkward silence before Bruce uttered that he “couldn’t hear [the] question”. 

After Yvonne offered to repeat her question, Bruce interrupted her and said: “No, that’s okay, let’s move to another one then”. When she pressed on with her questioning, he apparently hung up on her.

In a follow-up call, Bruce again declined to comment about Taiwan's response to the virus, simply because he had “already talked about China”.

“And when you look across all the different areas of China, they’ve actually all done quite a good job,” Bruce said in a sweeping statement before ending the interview.

​Bruce’s lacking response quickly went viral and he was met with accusations of showing political bias towards China.

“Wow, can’t even utter “Taiwan” in WHO? You should set politics aside in dealing with a pandemic,” Taiwan’s Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, lashed out on Twitter. 

Among the scores of angry netizens was the famously vocal Hongkong star Chapman To, who is known for his anti-Beijing sentiments. The actor wrote on Facebook: “WHO is s***. No question mark”.

Since the uproar, Bruce’s name has been removed from the WHO headquarters leadership team list. 

When us mere plebeians go through a bad breakup, we obliterate all photos of our former SO from social media. But for mega-rich mega-stars, could an increasingly common plan of action be to demolish the multimillion-dollar home they once shared?

In June last year, Fan Bingbing shocked fans when she announced that she had parted ways with fellow Chinese actor Li Chen. The ex-couple went public with their relationship in 2015 and were engaged by September 2017. But alas, a walk down the aisle was not in the cards for them (although there have been several speculations that they’ve reconciled in recent months).

Even their former love nest has been razed to the ground. Last week, a video showing the mass demolition of luxury villas along the coast of Qingdao, China began circulating online. In 2016, Bingbing and Li Chen were revealed to be joint owners of a house in that neighbourhood, suggesting that they could have intended for it to be their marital home.

Building the 141,500 square metre community was said to cost a whopping 3bil yuan (S$600mil), with each unit worth anywhere from 15mil yuan (S$3mil) to 64mil yuan (S$12.8mil).

According to Qingdao government officials, the construction process of the villas caused some damage to the reefs, which was why it was necessary to tear them down to restore the natural balance in the ecosystem.

Some netizens have since pointed out that Bingbing’s selfies from a few weeks ago appear to have been taken in front of one of the villas, suggesting that she could have made a trip there to oversee the relocation process.