Edison Chen's full apology statement

I returned to Hong Kong, one in the face of all this, I have never thought of escape, and a few weeks I have been my mother, my family, and they have always supported and helped me.

I admit that the majority of this incident are photos I shoot, but they are very much privacy in the circumstances of the shooting, but I have never thought of the others display Undoubtedly, it is illegal to steal from me these photos, I had not been agreed, and malicious dissemination on the Internet, to this community of the adverse impact, I am very sorry.

I would like to everyone to be hurt by this incident expression of regret to the relevant President and their families hurt by the apology, an apology to my family, I apologize to the parents, the most important thing is, I would like to apologize to all the people of Hong Kong , I express my sincere and unreserved apology.

I know that the young people of this era of idol worship of this community, but I am not a role model, I hope that this incident can educate young people, I made an example of what not to do things.

I decided that I would wholeheartedly End has pledged to work after the withdrawal from the Hong Kong entertainment circle heal their wounds and soul, I will contribute the time to do charity, and then I will never leave the entertainment circle.

I hope that this matter can be concluded as soon as possible, photos outflow from the first day, I have been in with the police, I am grateful to the police for their hard work. Now the most urgent task is to stop the damage, do not let this matter further out of control into the situation, to protect the innocent and young people. I asked my lawyers to the extent permitted by law to help those victims.

Finally, I would like to thank you can come here to listen to my explanation, I would like to thank you for giving me a chance to listen to my explanation, I hope you can forgive me, and this matter will hurt, I would like to once again be involved in the incident President apology, an apology to the relatives of them to apologize to my family, to apologize to the people of Hong Kong, hoping to give me a chance.

Edison Chen is back in Hong Kong and makes a public apology

HONG Kong singer and actor Edison Chen said today that he will leave the Hong Kong entertainment industry after admitting he took the raunchy celebrity pictures that showed him posing in bed with several other female entertainment stars.

The 27-year-old actor made his first public appearance this afternoon after returning to Hong Kong from the United States. He has been accused of avoiding the public and the media due to the nude picture scandal that broke in late January.

"I've decided to step away from the Hong Kong entertainment industry,"

Chen, who was wearing a black suit, told more than 300 reporters at a news conference at Hong Kong Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre at 3pm today.

He said in a brief statement in English that he would fulfill existing commitments before stepping down "indefinitely."

The Canada-born Chinese admitted he snapped most of the more than 800 nude pictures that have circulated on the Internet. The nude photos show him with dozens of female celebrities, including singer Gillian Chung and actress Cecilia Cheung.

The scandal has created a media frenzy and heated discussions on BBS communities both in Hong Kong and on the mainland since the scandal broke.

Some Internet users shared the raunchy pictures by e-mail or posting them on other Websites.

Hong Kong police said last week some 1,300 private shots of Chen in bed with at least half a dozen female celebrities had been copied by employees of a computer repair shop from a faulty laptop believed to belong to Chen.

""I'm sorry to those ladies and their families," Chen said. "And most of all, I feel sorry for Hong Kong people.

These photos were very private and have not been shown to people and were never intended to be shown to anyone,"

Chen said in a calm voice amid a flood of camera flashes from the hundreds of reporters gathered.

Gillian Chung Marriage Called Off Over New Photo Scandal

Source

Gillian Chung received a marriage proposal from Juno Mak this week, however, before Gillian could give him an answer Juno abrutly took back his proposal. News reports are saying that Gillian said "no" to Juno’s marriage proposal, but that is just to make Gillian look like she’s in control. Rumors have been getting louder that another celebrity may have another batch of naughty pictures of Gillian which were stolen, and may be released. Although Juno seems to have forgiven Gillian for her involvement with Edison Chen, this new naughty picture scandal seems to have been too much for Juno, so much so that he took back his marriage proposal. If another batch of pictures of Gillian is released her career will be over for sure. A source close to Gillian says she is putting on a strong face and appearance, but that is only to mask her fear of losing her celebrity status. The source adds that Gillian is hoping everyone will forget about the scandal as if it never happened.

To distract attention from herself she is blaming Edison Chen. A source closed to Gillian said:

“Gillian really loved Edison then and would do anything that he asked her. She thought she could hold on to him in this way. You can imagine how hurt she felt when she saw the photos and realized she was being cheated on. It’s said that Edison loves to brag to his friends about the women he has conquered.”

Gillian really knows how to play the innocent little girl who was the victim of big bad Edison. Gillian should really be given an award for her great acting.

Nicholas Tse Discovers Cecilia Cheung Cheated During Marriage

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Nicholas Tse Discovers Cecilia Cheung Cheated During Marriage
Posted on February 19, 2008 at 3:43 pm (PST)


Reports have confirmed that Cecilia Cheung was cheating on Nicholas Tse with three other men just before they married, and while they were engaged she took the shocking pictures with Edison Chen.

Now even more shocking allegations and rumors have surfaced. Not just one, but two men, are now rumored to have been having an affair with Cecilia during her marriage to Nicholas Tse. Nicholas had said he was not upset about the pictures with Edison Chen. It is rumored that Nicholas and Cecilia have separated, and will divorce legally after one year, because Nicholas allegedly found out about Cecilia’s cheating during their marriage, and Nicholas allegedly can no longer trust Cecilia to remain faithful. One of the men who was having an affair with Cecilia is rumored to have threatened to show pictures he took of Cecilia if she did not leave Nicholas for him.

A source close to the couple said they were considering marriage counseling just before rumors of Cecilia cheating became known by Nicholas and his family. Nicholas will need a lot of support if he is to calm his mind, and forgive Cecilia for the sake of their son Lucas.

Rosanne Wong Worried Her Naughty Pictures Coming Out Soon

Source

Female pop duo 2R, Rosanne Wong, and Race Wong, returned from Singapore to Hong Kong this evening, and neither were willing to comment on the recent naughty picture scandal involving Edison Chen.

Race only said that she wished for the police to solve the case as soon as possible, because everyone had been made quite unhappy by it. She revealed that even her family had urged for the duo to leave the entertainment industry, but she said they won’t quit, because they share a great love for singing and acting. She added that they hoped they will not be dragged into the scandal.

Why are they worried about being dragged into the scandal? Have they let Edison take pictures of them as well?

Rosanne was romantically linked by the press to Edison in 2004. Newspapers have speculated if she will be the next celebrity implicated by the scandal. So there’s your answer. We’ve heard rumors that pictures of Rosanne Wong will surface soon.

Quizzed on whether or not they knew of rumors that Edison threatened to commit su!cide if his current girlfriend Vincy Yeung didn’t accept his marriage proposal, and being unsuccessful, slit his wrist in a su!cide attempt, Race had no reply. She said a Chinese New Year greeting before leaving the airport with Rosanne.

If Rosanne was smart she’d just admit there are pictures of her as well, and just issue an apology before they hit the Internet.

Nicolas Tse Demands Paternity Test for Lucas

Source

Although Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung have publicly announced they have separated, and will divorce legally after one year, some Hong Kong papers are falsely reporting the couple are still together. A source close to Nicholas says he found out about Cecilia’s cheating during their marriage, and Nicolas can no longer trust Celilia to remain faithful. Nicholas and Cecilia are trying to keep things civil between them however, for the sake of their son Lucas.

Nicholas is also very concerned that Lucas may not be his biological son, and a source says this is breaking Nicholas’ heart. First there was the feeling of betrayal after discovering his wife cheated with several men before their marriage, then rumors that Cecilia cheated during the marriage, and now heart breaking doubts that Lucas may not be his son. Nicholas is said to be demanding a paternity test for Lucas to be sure he is his son. If the test confirms Nicholas is the father, then he may consider working things out, and forgiving Cecilia … for Lucas.

Making this worse for Cecilia however, is a rumor that Ceclilia may be once again pregnant, and not with Nicholas’ baby. Hopefully Cecilia is not pregnant. Their marriage cannot take anymore stress, or it will break to pieces. Cecilia is working again, shooting ads to try to return to a normal life.

When Lucas was born the elder Tse grandfather, who is 71 years-old, told Apple Daily that the baby Lucas has dimples and lively eyes. He added, “I fear he might be too popular with girls when he grows up. When he is old enough to walk, I will buy him sunglasses to shield him from women.”

Perhaps Lucas could use those sunglasses now to shield his eyes from the trouble his parents are facing.

Somehow fans need to find a way to show their overwhelming support for Nicholas and Cecilia to help them stay together for the sake of their baby Lucas. Leave your comments and well wishes for Nicholas and Ceclia. Perhaps they will see your messages and decide to stay together.

Edison Chen doesn’t just have photos of starlets - Gillian might be fired from EEG?

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Due to the unfortunate passing of Lydia Sum early yesterday morning, Edison Chen’s face for the first time in three weeks, was off the headlines of various newspapers. With no further action by “Kira” or any headway made by the police in the past few days, more speculation filled the papers just to keep the scandal going until Edison mades his statement later this week.

According to the latest Southern Metropolis Weekly, Edison Chen doesn’t just possess photos of fellow female stars but also including wives of rich Hong Kong businessmen and possibly even daughters from well-to-do families.

Edison was undoubtedly a “playboy” in his own league and once wagered with a director that he had nude photos of female starlets. The director didn’t believed him and in the end lost 100 thousand HK dollars to Edison.

Edison is also reportedly to have been “hurt” by love in the past which resulted in his behavior of photographing every female he has been with and sharing it with his friends. According to a close associate of Edison, he would often pull out every trick in his book to get them to do what he wants them to. It includes buying them Cartier couple bracelets (almost every female star has them), sweet talking, etc. “He knows what women want, and their love for branded stuff. He would always get them “limited” edition stuff and then sweet talk them, for example, ‘You’re my princess’. After all that, every girl thinks they are really that great and would then succumb to whatever he requests.”

With Edison’s image taking a battering and his non-action in addressing the situation, his sponsors are apparently very unhappy with him and already, five companies have cancelled their contracts with him and might file lawsuits against him for violating the terms of his contract. Facing the prospect of unemployment and lawsuits, Edison is heading for potential financial meltdown.

It hasn’t been any better for Gillian Chung either. She has become the “target” of Hong Kong citizens since her comeback after the scandal broke.

Gillian made her second public appearance with fellow Twins member, Charlene Choi yesterday at an EEG event. They were the last to perform and did what they were suppose to do. This was despite TVB receiving a record number of complaints over her appearance during a charity event on Sunday.

Many netizens have been sticking up products that Gillian endorsed and asked fellow netizens to boycott buying them until the day Gillian announces her intention to leave the entertainment industry. According to sources, EEG is only testing how the “market” is reacting to Gillian and if this continues to go on without an end in sight, they might release her from her contract.

Their manager has denied this and said that she is just trying to get through this testing period and do her best. Meanwhile, Gillian will appear on another show tonight with Charlene because their song was No.1 on the charts.

Gillian Chung Faces New Picture Scandal

Source

A source in Hong Kong now alleges another man who dated Gillian Chung, someone other than Edison Chen, may have also taken naughty pictures of her in private. The source said the man who has possession of new naughty Gillian pictures is a celebrity, which immediately raises suspicion it could be Alex Fong. The source also mentioned that some of those pictures may have been stolen, and could be released at a later date. News of the new naughty pictures has not yet hit news papers in Hong Kong. Stay tuned as this story develops …

Recently Alex was asked about Gillian’s apology news conference. He said that he happened to be at home resting, so he did see the interview on television, and he said that she has taken a step forward, but he has nothing more to say.

TVB held a fundraising variety show Help And Love yesterday evening to raise money for the action aid project of the same name to help the victims of the snowstorm crisis in Mainland China.

Among the celebrities taking part in the event were the singing duo Twins (pictured above left is Gillian Chung, and right is Charlene Choi). Gillian Chung, who has earned herself the nickname of "Naive Gillian" after her involvement in the recent naughty photos scandal, and her subsequent explanation for her actions as being "naive and foolish", remains the focus of the media attention. Charlene Choi joined Gillian to perform.

Despite thousands of complaints from the public about the planned appearance of Gillian at the charity show, TVB decided to show their support for her and did not cancel their booking. The producers had also arranged for a group of Twins fans to sit in the live audience and support the duo during their performance. After joining the other stars in the main performance of the theme song "Bringing Warmth In Snow", they also performed "Six Years Of Love" as their fans showed their applause and encouragement from the audience.

After their item, Twins did not stick around nor answer any of the reporters’ questions because they were rushed off to the EEG New Year celebrations.

The show’s producer Wai Sai Fai was asked about the change to Twins’ song from the originally planned "Connected Relationships" and he said that this was made at their request. He also said that although there were more Twins fans in the audience than any other group of fans, but this was made in arrangement with each of the singers’ fan clubs and was fair.

During the ensemble performance, Alan Tam seemed to keep passing the microphone over to Gillian, who was stood beside him on the stage. He explained that this was to show his support for her and he denied that she was wearing a frown all evening, saying she was very brave and strong.

TVB Executive Chairman Sir Run Run Shaw led the donations for the evening by pledging HK$1 million and he was joined by other noted philanthropists including Mr Timothy Fok who donated HK$5 million on behalf of his family business and also Peter Lam, Pansy Ho, Albert Yeung, and Joseph Lau, who all also donated HK$1 million towards the fund.

The artists and singers at the event, including Raymond Lam, Bosco Wong, Kevin Cheng, and the cast of TVB sitcom Best Selling Secrets, all gave up their time to take part in the performance and encouraged the viewers at home to phone in and pledge their donations to the worthy cause.

HK Comedian and Actress Lydia Sum dies of cancer

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HONG KONG, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Lydia Shum Din-Ha, known as Fei-fei, or Fatty, and one of Hong Kong's most popular comedian actresses, died of liver tumor and other complications on Tuesday morning in a hospital in Hong Kong. She was 60 years old.

Shum was born in July, 1947 into a well-off large family in Shanghai and ranked the fifth among the family's eight children. She made her film debut in 1960, joined the Hong Kong-based Shaw Brothers, a famous film company, as a child actress and rose to stardom with the free-to-air television broadcaster TVB's variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight, which was hugely popular in Hong Kong for over 20 years.

With her signature smile, dark-rimmed glasses and comic hairstyle, Shum established herself as a comic and dramatic actress. Her successful career spanning almost half a century also included the role as a TV hostess.

Shum married Hong Kong actor and singer Adam Cheng Siu-chow in 1985 after they lived together years. The two split up in 1987, only eight months after their daughter and only child Joyce was born.

Shum, dogged by numerous health problems, including chronic ailments such as cholangitis, diabetes and hypertension, was lately admitted to hospitals repeatedly. She was diagnosed with liver tumor and cancer around the gallbladder in 2006 and was discharged from hospital in July 2007 after an operation to remove a third of her liver. But she collapsed at home and was rushed to hospital in October

Eric Tsang Supports Gillian Chung at Charity Event: Should Not Deny a Charitable Act

Source - Serena

Gillian Chung performance at the charity event 《雪中送暖》 elicited 170 complaints from audience. Eric Tsang pointed out: “It shouldn’t matter because it is for charity. [Gillian] should not be denied if she intended to do something good.” Gillian made a public statement earlier but there were criticism about the content. Eric explained that managers are in charged nowadays. A lot of artistes don’t deal with these incidents. It is different than the artistes in the 80s who had to take care of themselves.

Eric is most sympathetic towards BoBo Chan out of everyone involved in the scandal. Are you worried that BoBo’s wedding is called off? Eric said: “BoBo is an adult. She needs to deal with her own issues. Not to mention the wedding is between BoBo and her finance. Marriage is a lifetime.” The suspected nude pictures of artistes have affected the entire city. Eric believes that as an adult, Edison Chen should be held accountable for what he did. He said: “Even if you don’t explain and confess to the public, Edison should explain himself to the females involved in the scandal. His video clip does not count.” There are rumours that Edison slit his wrist. Eric said: “People can write about anything. You can only confirm it is true when you see it.”

There were criticisms about the president of the Artistes’’ Union, Alan Tam, because people feel that he did not handle the incident correctly. Eris said: “No, in his speech 『香港人及娛樂圈的悲哀』 (Sorrow of Hong Kong people and entertainment circle), we already knew how seriousness of this incident. It contained police and media reports. It is even attracted international focus. So there was no mention of “doctoring or manipulation”. This incident is like the Robin Hood story. The person uploading the pictures is the heroic thief. He stole things for everyone to view. But taking it is like accepting stolen goods. People need to be clear if it is good or bad.”

Edison Chen photos published in magazines - laser discs sold in Toronto (Canada) shops

Credits: Source

SUN

Following the example of Next Magazine and Oriental Sunday in Hong Kong, a mainland Chinese entertainment magazine has published a special issue that contains about 30 of the Edison Chen photos. The magazine was promptly sold out after the first day. This magazine is published by a Jiangxi media unit and is distributed mainly in the Pearl River Delta region. According to Article 170 of the Criminal Law Code of the People's Republic of China, the production and distribution of pornographic material for profit is subject to a maximum penalty of three years in jail plus fines.

Mingpao

In the shops of Toronto (Canada), laser discs of the Edison Chen photos are on sale for about HKD 40. The cost of the laser disc is probably one tenth of the sales price. According to a local lawyer, it is not against the law to sell these laser discs. The police will not take action unless they receive a complain about violation of intellectual property rights.

Gillian Chung Mocked at TVB Charity Show - Please do not poison our young generations

Source: Mingpao
Credits: EastSouthWestNorth

TVB received more than 200 complaints against last night's appearance of Gillian Chung, her first performance since the scandal erupted. Most complainants said it was inappropriate for Chung to perform at the charity show, which raised money for victims of the mainland's recent snowstorms. An online survey also recorded more than 2,400 votes in support of the statement: "We don't need artists like this [Gillian Chung]. Please do not poison our young generations."

Yesterday at the TVB charity show, Gillian Chung stood in the front row wearing the special event t-shirt and sang with the rest of the entertainers. Then she sang the song <In Love For Six Years> with her Twins partner Charlene Choi. During the performance, some people called in to donate "money under the name of "Very silly, very naïve." Other names were "Chen XX," "Black Gil," etc. All of those kinds of names were filtered off the air by TVB. However, using the name "Twins fans" was acceptable.

Edison asked police for 24 hours protection

Credits: Wilson Ng @Superwilson
Source

Edison is getting more troubles even he is not in HK yet. Billboards of him has been taken down in HK. In a string of pullouts, this will be the recent event.

Furthermore, Edison Chen is now bargaining with HK Police with 3 conditions. The newspaper said that the star is negotiating with the police via his lawyers for 24-hour police protection, a safe house and a guarantee of his status as a witness. According to the newspaper, the police have agreed to the first request if circumstances require, but have refused to commit to the second or third.

He indeed worried about his safety as there are rumors that HK triads will take him down once he comes back to HK. Not just his career is on the line now but his life as well.

Gillian Chung Received 170 Complaints - Only Receives Support From TVB

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Gillian Chung was involved in the suspected nude picture scandal. Her image is damaged. Earlier, her statement “Too naïve, very silly” was met with criticism because people felt it lacked honesty. Her performance with her Twins partner, Charlene Choi, at TVB’s charity event 《雪中送暖》 was also met with resistance from audiences. Audience members pressured TVB and there was a rapid increase of complaints to 170 cases as of yesterday afternoon. In the last couple of days, netizens started up 「全球要求阿嬌退出娛樂圈大行動」 which aims to nudge Gillian into retirement from the entertainment industry. There will be a 「玩嬌行動」 (“play” with Gillian) protest scheduled for next Saturday at West Kowloon centre because Gillian will be attending the equestrian event. At the same time, another group called 「一群清醒的歌迷」 (a group of conscious (awoken) fans) will send her a 「給阿Sa的信」 (open letter to Gillian). This group of fans had their heart broken by Gillian and intend to leave Gillian in the dust.

Tonight TVB’s charity event 《雪中送暖》 will be broadcasted. It is to raise money for the victims of the snow disaster in mainland China. This is Gillian’s first performance since the scandal was made public. She will perform a song, 《連帶關係》, with her Twins partner Charlene. But, after the news of Gillian’s performance was announced, audience’s protests have increasingly become more heated. The number of complaints has jumped to 170 cases from the original 8 cases. All of the complaints are against TVB for arranging Gillian’s performance in the show. Within those complaints, some complained about Liza Wang’s concert at Tin Shui Wai which was called 《天水荃情喜洋洋》 because TVB aired a segment with Twins. They criticized TVB for not cutting out those segments on February 9th.

Even though there was complaints but TVB also received phone calls and e-mails which support Gillian. TVB assistant director of public relations, 曾醒明, announced there was a particularly long e-mail addressed to TVB executive Stephen Chen. It suggested that TVB should give Gillian more encouragement to face the crowd and continue to work. It stated: “No one is perfect. [Gillian] should be given chances.” There were more then 10 people who called in to support Gillian’s performance. 曾醒明 said: “TVB respects people with differing opinions. As of right now, there will be no changes to the charity event. Twins did not quit the performance. TVB respects artistes. Twins is a duo and we won’t break up their performance. The program will start at 8 o’clock and Twins’ performance was scheduled near the start of the event.” Would there be special arrangements? 曾醒明 expressed that EEG did not make any special requests so everything will be conducted like normal. There will be no special arrangement for security. It is up to EEG if Gillian will accept any interviews. According to information, Twins will have another job this evening so they will leave immediately after the performance. The program’s producer, 衛世輝, said that people should give Gillian a chance. He said: “Even Hong Kong has renewal (revival) programs!”

Even though there is pressure, Gillian is determined to perform on-stage to help this charity event. But this has made Twins worry about their future. TVB continue to support Gillian coming out to work. Other broadcast stations, like 商台 announced a list of music and concert plans but Twins was not on the list. 商台 executive 陳靜嫻 expressed that there will be 3 big concert events in the next 9 months. Singers include Eason Chan, Miriam Yeung and Leo Ku. When asked if Twins are in their plans, she said: “Not right now.”

Actually, Twins’ work schedule was already thrown into chaos after the scandal. Originally, they were supposed to go to Taiwan to promote their Mandarin Chinese album. Yesterday, that trip was cancelled in an announcement. Twins’ representatives in Taiwan passed on the information from EEG. It stated that Twins needs to record a Cantonese album so they could not go to Taiwan for promotion. Some fans in Taiwan expressed their disappointment on the internet and stated that Twins did not respect the Taiwanese market. Gillian will return to Beijing to finish her scenes in 《梅蘭芳》 in a few days. It is estimated that she will wrap up her scenes in two days. Other movies like 《武俠梁祝》 have not confirmed if Gillian will be playing those roles.

After the scandal broke, Gillian was in isolation for two weeks. Yesterday, news reports stated that she found out her love had many girlfriends at the same time. She felt her feelings were deceived so she locked herself in her house. Fortunately, Charlene helped her pull through emotionally. Gillian was smiling at the news conference because EEG wanted her to be strong and not cry during CNY.

The sleaze behind the sleaze of Hong Kong’s sex photos

Source

Asia Sentinel Staff
17 February 2008

Maybe there’s more to Edison Chen’s troubles than theft by a computer technician


Don’t expect Hong Kong’s overheated media to give a full account of the so-called Internet sex photos scandal, despite the fact that local newspapers have been repairing their balance sheets with it for weeks and giving the public a liberal daily lacing of all the titillation fit to print.

The real scandal is not the perfectly normal, if somewhat energetic, sexual activities of singer Edison Chen and his various singer/actress girlfriends. There could even be more to come, but who in Hong Kong truly believes that “innocent looking” girls in their early 20s in the entertainment business (or anywhere outside a convent) are virgins? If they were it would be a man-bites-dog story.

The real scandal likely cannot be told because it lies buried in the obscure but crucial relationships between Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, organized crime, the government and police. This was the very police force that started arresting a few Internet users who had passed on the sexy pix to their friends despite the fact that the photos had not been ruled obscene. Subsequently the relevant Hong Kong panel ruled the pictures indecent rather than obscene.

Anyway, by then the photos had been on-passed to Web sites around the world – not just Chinese language ones ‑ and kicked off a stunning brouhaha. Major Chinese newspapers increased their press runs by 30 percent to handle street sales from the story. It is likely that at least a million people in Hong Kong alone have seen some of the raunchier ones in full anatomical detail. Millions more have seen the printed version, genitalia obscured, which have been published in feverish local magazines and newspapers.

In an Internet world rife with pornography and nudity, the Hong Kong officials’ decision to raid the computer shop that repaired (and apparently looted) Chen’s laptop was unusual. Nine people were arrested, with Hong Kong’s Commissioner of Police, Tang King-shing, warning sternly that mere possession of the photos would violate the territory’s Colonial-era obscenity law. One man was detained for days without bail but was eventually released.

The police and the government in general may have rushed to make this an important issue because one of the indirect victims was Albert Yeung, head of the Emperor Entertainment Group, whose family hails from the tough Chiu Chow region of southern China. The female Cantopop stars’ sex exploits exposed by Edison Chen’s photos were all members of Yeung’s stable of entertainers. One of them, Vincy Yeung, was his niece, a daughter of his brother.

According to official reports, the photos became public because they were downloaded by a computer technician who had been given Chen’s pink Apple laptop computer to repair. The technician then gradually released them to the Internet. However, though this story may hold water in some respects, it looks unlikely to be the whole truth. It certainly does not fully explain why the photos surfaced when they did, or why new photos continue to make their appearance. This suggests that someone other than the technician has control of the smut cache, which according to some reports is said to run to hundred of stills and video clips and to involve 10 or so girls.

Yeung himself is a well-known business figure long said – and of course denied – to have or have had connections to the Sun Yee On triad, a criminal organization of long repute with activities in Hong Kong, China and beyond. He has had several brushes with the law. In 1981 he was jailed for attempting to pervert the course of justice and in 1995 was cleared of criminal intimidation and false imprisonment after all five prosecution witnesses suffered sudden memory lapses when called to testify.

Triad activity has long been known to be rife in the film and entertainment business in Hong Kong and the Cantopop industry is among its most profitable aspects. Although Yeung has many other business interests, ranging from a casino in Pyongyang to hotels and jewelry stores in Hong Kong, he is best known for his role in the entertainment industry and even into his 60s is noted in the gossip columns for his attraction to budding female performers.

The media frenzy over the sex photos may even help others in the industry, particularly the magazines and newspapers which have seen their circulations soar. However the careers of Emperor’s leading starlets are likely to suffer dramatically, unless they shift to the porn industry. Unlike in the west, where filmed Internet sex has caused barely a hiccup in the careers of Pamela Anderson, Britney Speers, Paris Hilton and others, in Hong Kong this kind of thing is not taken lightly. Edison Chen himself is said to be prudently staying in North America because relatives of the singer’s many actress-girlfriends may have powerful relatives who wish to do him harm when he returns.

It also just happens that the photo frenzy coincided with the stock market listing of another part of Yeung’s empire, New Media Group Holdings which publishes five weekly titles. Despite the generally depressed market, New Media was 48 times oversubscribed and doubled in price when trading began.

Yeung’s lesser known rival in the media business is the China Star group run by Charles Heung Wah-keung, also of Chiu Chow origin. Heung is a son of the reputed founder of Sun Yee On and was himself identified as an office bearer of the triad in a report on organized crime to the US Senate.

Internet blogs such as asianfanatics.net are full of all kinds of theories relating to the photos, with suggestions of extortion and other criminal activities more serious than pornography, theft of data or invasion of privacy. They draw heavily on the background and past records of various players.

Also noteworthy could be Albert Yeung’s strong links to Chinese Communist Party figures who have the ear of the Hong Kong government which, for whatever reasons, prefers to ignore his brushes with the law and regard him as a useful and patriotic businessman.

Edison told the police that if he returned to Hong Kong, he will be in danger because people threatened him

Credits: Serena @http://asian-gossip.blogspot.com/
Thanks to Serena for this long Translation
Source: on.cc

The male lead in the sex picture scandal of artistes, Edison Chen, has fled to the US after the scandal was made public. His location is a mystery. But this paper have an inside source. For many days, Edison has proposed many times to his girlfriend Vincy Yeung. It was to show that he has changed his ways. He even engaged in cutting (specifically his wrists) to threaten his girlfriend into marriage. Vincy refused the marriage proposals after consulting with her family. The Hong Kong police and his management company combined forces to force a timetable on Edison’s return. But it was rumoured that he suddenly made a change in plan to go to Vancouver instead. He is allegedly helping his mom to move home to avoid the situation.

Edison is the target of public angst. The sex pictures were leaked onto the internet on the early morning of January 28th. He secretly left Hong Kong to the US to avoid the media glare. According to reliable sources, Edison left on a plane to Boston on that very day. He went to explain to his girlfriend who is attending the Boston University. He wanted to point out that he was a victim. He also declared that he was innocent and etc. to make his girlfriend change her mind. Vincy’s family was against Edison’s visit in Boston. Edison stayed in a hotel instead of staying with Vincy and her family.

Inside sources at Boston said that Edison wanted to see Vincy a lot and proposed to her many times during his stay in Boston. He wanted to show his determination and even threatened her with death. He cut himself a couple of times in front of her and requested that she marries him. In a past interview, he boasted that Vincy’s dad wanted him to have US$ 20 million when he was 32 years old so Edison can slowly leave the entertainment industry and marry Vincy. But the sex picture scandal exploded and couldn’t be stopped. Edison wanted to keep the relationship going so he is using suicide to force a wedding. But Vincy’s family is extremely dissatisfied with his actions; in the end, Vincy refused Edison’s marriage proposal and told him to give up on that thought.

Hong Kong police divulged that the CCB and Technology Crime investigation unit are in charged with this case. They communicated with Edison through his Hong Kong based lawyers. They all have advised Edison to return to Hong Kong as quickly as possible. There are rumours that someone has ordered Edison’s death. Edison’s dad could not bribe those people though a middle-person. So Edison is avoiding Hong Kong.

Edison has received calls for him to return to Hong Kong. After some time, he originally stated that he would return after spending Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend Vincy. The original plan was to take a flight on February 15th (US time) to return to Hong Kong to help solve the problems. But he changed his mind at the last minute. He told his lawyers that he wanted to help his mom move houses so he can’t return to Hong Kong yet. He did not specify a return date.

From the paper’s understanding, Edison told the police that if he returned to Hong Kong, he will be in danger because people threatened him. He was also worried that he would be under police investigation after assisting the police’s investigation. So he is in a tug of war game with the police. The police believe that Edison would not return to Hong Kong for now. They are in talks with his lawyers. Inside sources reveal that he is in Vancouver helping his mom move. Since the sex pictures became international with the circulation, overseas Chinese residents are discussing this incident. So Edison’s mom, Carol, is distressed about this scandal. She has looked for a new residence to find some peace and quiet.

Vincy rejects Edison's marriage proposal - Gillan Chung & Juno married?

Source

We know that Edison’s not coming back to Hong Kong today and word is that the initial news saying he was returning today was cooked up by the media in the first place. So there’s no need for East Asia Music nor Edison to comment on the no-show today. They refused to set a date on his eventual return.

The media revealed yesterday that Edison Chen had been actually proposing to Vincy all this while in Boston that they should get married, not once but at least four times. He hoped to use the marriage as a base to turn over a new leaf and even sought to threatening slitting his wrists to “force” Vincy to accept. But following discussions with her family, Vincy rejected his proposal firmly.

It’s believed that instead of flying back to Hong Kong today, he has gone to Vancouver, Canada to help his mother move to another place (avoid the media glare) and also take temporary refuge for some relief.

His refusal to return to Hong Kong now stems from the fact that he could be hunted down by the triads upon his entry and also possible prosecution (victim -> accused) by the police for his involvement in the scandal.




Rumours flew around the media yesterday that Gillian and Juno Mak with whom she has been seen with since the scandal broke got married secretly. A simple check at the marriage registry yielded no results and an interview with Gillian’s manager revealed, “Stop kidding!”. It’s most likely another hoax once again.

A close friend of Gillian revealed that she was not upset with the photos being leaked but more so at Edison Chen for apparently cheating on her while dating her. “Gillian really loved Edison then and would do anything that he asked her. She thought she could hold on to him in this way. You can imagine how hurt she felt when she saw the photos and realised she was being cheated on. It’s said that Edison loves to brag to his friends about the women he has conquered.”

Gillian has been meeting with lots of obstacles since returning to work. Twins were not on the list for an annual event hosted by a Hong Kong radio station even though they were regulars in previous years. Their plans to tour Taiwan next week to promote their album has been put on hold. She is however slated to appear in tonight’s TVB “Aid for Snow Storm Victims”event but the television station has received lots of complaints to stop her from appearing. What will happen tonight then? Will there be boos or applause when she appears?

Sex photo scandal scuttles Twins concert

Source

THE concert of popular Canto-pop group, Twins, in Hong Kong in April was cancelled following the recent sex photo scandal involving its singer Gillian Chung, said Nanyang Siang Pau.

In some of the photos, Chung was seen in a compromising position with Hong Kong entertainer Edison Chen.

In the past few weeks, hundreds of photos – believed to be of Chen with a string of Hong Kong starlets, including actress Cecilia Cheung and former actress Bobo Chan – had been circulating on the Internet.

The Twins concert in Malaysia on June 27 and 28, however, will go on as scheduled, said a spokesman from organiser Genting City of Entertainment.

“We will inform the public if there are changes,” he said.

Scandal-Plagued Cecilia Cheung Resumes Work

Source

It seems that Cecilia Cheung's nude photo scandal has not hindered the Hong Kong actress' career.

Local media reports said Cheung quietly went back to work this week and shot a commercial for a brand of feminine hygiene product. She has several other commercial on her schedule, the reports said.

Cheung denied, via her agent, the rumor that she and her celebrity husband Nicholas Tse are having difficulties related to the photos and said that the two are "in a steady relationship."

Edison Chen chickens out on returning to Hong Kong!

Source

There are many rumours flying around as to how Edison Chen is returning to Hong Kong or whether is he in Hong Kong already. But according to the latest news report from Netease.com after contacting East Asia Music today, it’s understood that Edison Chen’s scheduled return to Hong Kong tomorrow and his subsequent press conference has been cancelled, no reason given.

Edison Chen was supposed to give a press conference tomorrow to address the public about the recent sex photos scandal. He was also due to report at the Wanchai Police Station to record his statement and provide useful information. But that is all up in smoke now judging from this turn of events. East Asia Music expressed that when Edison does return, they will contact the media so that they can “welcome” him back.

Now what has led to Edison Chen sudden cancellation of his scheduled return? Maybe he chickened out on the possibility that he might be taken out by the triads (Albert Yeung alleged links) once he returns while the police are also after him. So maybe he wants to make his return to Hong Kong in a quiet manner.

Meanwhile on the other hand, Gillian has been involved in several polls where the netizens have voted against seeing her on television. They have branded her statement childish and are up in arms to prevent her from returning to work smoothly. There are rumours that Twins might be heading for a split.

Cecilia meanwhile has returned back to work secretly, fliming a commercial and is reportedly in good health. Her marriage to Nicholas Tse is on the contrary not on the rocks as reported and is even stronger than before.

What will happen next?

Gangsters planning to teach Edison Chen a lesson over racy photos

Source

HONG KONG media reports said gangsters are supposedly planning to teach Edison Chen a lesson or kill him over the celebrity sex-photo scandal.

Chen, 27, is expected to return from the United States to Hong Kong and face the media on Sunday, said Mavis Leung, his spokesman, who declined to elaborate.

Organised crime has long played an important role in Hong Kong's entertainment industry. The current scandal has led Hong Kong tabloids to run reports in the last several days of supposed plans by gangsters to 'teach a lesson' to Chen and perhaps even kill him.

Chen's travel plans have been shrouded in secrecy, but Sudden Weekly said he may fly first to Japan, where he would board a Hong Kong-bound private plane owned by Media Asia studio head Peter Lam.

Mr Lam, who is also the owner of Chen's management company, said it was up to the actor to decide whether to quit showbiz after the scandal.

He described Chen as a 'kid' and urged the public to give him a chance to explain what had happened and let him 'get back on his feet again'.

Sudden Weekly tabloid said the racy photo scandal is said to have started because the actor's businessman father was in debt.

It said that after Chen took his laptop to be serviced in 2006, risque pictures that he allegedly took of women including Twins singer Gillian Chung and actress Cecilia Cheung had been passed around by insiders in the computer industry.

But the photos did not become publicly available until they fell into the hands of his father's creditors and were leaked onto the Net, the report said.

For the others involved in the photo scandal, the fall-out continues.

Cheung's father-in-law, actor Patrick Tse, has denied the latest round of rumours that she has been kicked out of the Tse family.

Chung, who apologised on Monday, will make her first TV appearance since the scandal on a charity show tomorrow. But a Twins concert scheduled for April has been postponed to September.

Meanwhile, the charges against the first man arrested in connection with the scandal was released in court on Friday after the Obscene Articles Tribunal found that the photograph should have been classified as 'indecent' - a lesser offence.

Chung Yik Tin, 29, who was accused of uploading a photograph showing someone resembling Chung, half naked and spreading her legs on a bed, was initially charged and refused bail for publishing an obscene photograph.

Police have arrested nine people in connection with photographs and videos on the Internet over the last two weeks.

Three suspects have been formally charged, including a 24-year-old man in Kowloon who was charged on Tuesday with publishing obscene materials. after he was said to have posted 100 photos.

He did not enter a plea and was freed on bail of HK$10,000.

Some Web users in Hong Kong see the police action as an infringement on individual freedoms. They held a protest last Sunday, arguing, among other things, that Hong Kong's anti-pornography ordinance is too broad and too vague, and that this is a case of unequal treatment.

'On the Internet there are a lot of nude pictures and sexy photos, but the police don't bring charges' except in the current case involving the singers,' said Oiwan Lam, a local blogger who participated in the demonstration and edits inmediahk.net, a citizen-reporter Web site.

Twins Suggested to Become Solo Acts

Source

Can the Twins group survive the dreaded “Seven Years Itch” and the fate of becoming solo acts?

Since Gillian Chung became involved in the suspected nude pictures of celebrity scandal, there is quite a lot of netizen suggesting the group Twins should be broken up. This will allow Charlene Choi to have a solo career. As of right now, EEG does not want to break up this duo. When Manfred Wong was in Shanghai for a function, the local media pursued his view on this issue. He conveyed that expressing his views on the subject will put people in a bad mood during the holidays. In a logical and long term view, this is an epoch-making event. This also borderlines on moral and value system, so people will need to re-evaluate the situation. There is nothing wrong with privately taking pictures between a man and woman but he believes Edison Chen had too much time on his hands. He had time to set up equipment (cameras) during their love-making session. So he should stand up and explain if he broken any laws when he took those pictures.

Ever since those pictures were leaked, the moral values of people have taken a hit. The only solution is to let time make it better. But the people involved were greatly affected so it was possible that Twins will break up. Also Gillian can’t act like a little girl anymore, she’s 26 years old. She should consider using a more mature image. Madonna and Shu Qi also took such pictures so Gillian can consider this reinvention.

Nic+Cecilia are still together - Rumors about divorcing are untrue

Source

The sex picture scandal is making larger waves. There are rumours that Cecilia Cheung and Nicholas Tse divorcing over this matter. But yesterday night, they jointly sent a flower basket to Aaron Kwok’s concert premiere. They are dispelling these rumours with their actions! For the past day, Nicholas was accompanying Cecilia. Recently, Cecilia has slowing returned to work. Clear skies should be coming up!

It is not the end of the sex pictures scandal which has shocked Hong Kong. But it has rocked the entire entertainment industry. There are rumours that the “eye of the storm” Edison Chen will be returning to Hong Kong to explain the incident. This incident has involved a few known female artistes. There were rumours that Nicholas suspected Cecilia two-timing him which has enraged him. For the past couple of days, he was in talk for a divorce! It turns out the rumours were untrue. Last night, reporters found a large flower basket jointly sent by Nicholas and Cecilia in the backstage. It confirms that the two’s relationship did not change! The flower basket was carefully selected. The flowers were purple and bright red indicating that the two was in a good mood. The sign on the basket simply read: “To Aaron Kwok. For a successful performance. Nicholas & Cecilia” Their two names appearing together was better than 1000 words explanation!

There were reports that Nicholas and Cecilia was living at a friend’s house and Nicholas sleeping alone. Cecilia’s manager, Ms. Zhou said: “It’s all untrue! They were moving. There was no staying at a friend’s place. Nicholas has accompanied his wife daily. Their relationship is very stable. Nicholas has always supported Cecilia!” She also denied reports that Cecilia was pregnant again.

Their husband and wife relationship is going strong. Cecilia has quietly returned to work. For the past couple of days, she was filming a commercial for a Chinese beauty product. There were a lot of reporters waiting outside of their resident ever since the scandal broke. But Cecilia was able to avoid their pursuit and go to work. This scandal did not affect Cecilia’s mood that day. She is strong! According to sources, Cecilia has signed a two year contract with the advertisers. The two day of filming has earned her a seven figure fee. Also, she was not required to promote the product in mainland China. There were other advertiser and sponsors which has contacted Cecilia’s manager about collaborations. This proves Cecilia’s ability to draw in money have not decreased. Her fee was enough to cover her annual expenses! Ms Zhou said: “Cecilia is emotionally (and mentally) prepared. She is waiting for the right script now. We are not excluding the possibility of her returning to film a movie!”

Besides that, Deborah Lai has returned to Hong Kong around eight o’clock at night. She was wearing bright colours. When she saw the reporters, she said: “Thank-you everyone.” She quickly walked to the parking lot and refused to respond to questions about Nicholas and Edison. When the reporter asked her about Cecilia and Nicholas’ new location, Deborah immediately stopped. She pretended that her ears were covered and said: “Please!” Her actions told the reporters that she didn’t want to be asked again. But Deborah kept a smile on her face the whole time. Her partner, 鬍鬚Kong, kept his mouth sealed.

Will Edison's Girls survive scandal?

Source The Electric New Paper

EDISON Chen is returning to Hong Kong today and is planning to hold a news conference tomorrow to face the press for the first time after his sex scandal broke nearly three weeks ago.

But his former lovers - Gillian Chung, Cecilia Cheung, Bobo Chan, Rachel Ngan, Mandy Chan and Candice Chan - have already suffered the humiliation of having photos of their sexploits with Edison splashed all over the Net.

Besides the shame, their carefully-crafted images and reputations have been smashed to smithereens in one fell swoop.

Will they survive or sink from this scandal?


Cecilia Cheung, 28

She has been making headlines ever since her debut in 1999.

There were the rape and death threats made against the then-newbie, after her triad member father got into a misunderstanding with a rival gang.

Cecilia, who has a half-British mother, caught the attention of Stephen Chow after shooting a lemon tea ad. He cast her in King Of Comedy.

Her second movie, the weepy Fly Me To Polaris, netted her a Best Newcomer Hong Kong Film Award, and her sweet angelic image set her popularity soaring.

She was quickly rumoured to be the third party who broke up Ronald Cheng and Miriam Yeung, but that was forgotten when she went public with her relationship with Daniel Chan in 2000.

A messy break-up a year later saw Cecilia spinning into the arms of Jordan Chan.

It was also around this time that she shedded her good girl image for a wilder one, getting tattoos on various parts of her body.

But Nicholas Tse, fresh from a split from Faye Wong, came into the picture soon after, and a protracted love triangle developed.

The pair married a year later and their son Lucas was born last August.

Will she survive or sink?

The Sun reported that Cecilia was due to become the new face of L'Oreal in a multi-million contract, but this may be up in the air now.

Her acting career has been in the backseat since her marriage, and if rumours of a second pregnancy are true, then perhaps by the time she returns, the scandal would have blown over.

Things aren't so smooth on the marriage front, though. It has been reported that she and Nicholas have signed a separation agreement.

His dad Patrick Tse - who is known for his loose lips - has tellingly refused to comment on this.


Gillian Chung, 27

Known as the prettier half of pop duo Twins, this former part-time model has been linked to many men.

Both Jackie Chan and his son Jaycee were said to be among her past admirers.

She was also reportedly the reason for the rift between the then-rising rival stars Edison and Shawn Yue.

The pair nearly came to blows once at an awards ceremony after Shawn chatted Gillian up and incurred Edison's wrath.

Shawn supposedly won the love tussle then, and while it's not clear when the intimate pictures of Gillian and Edison were taken, it seems they have been linked since 2003.

She has also been linked to swimmer-turned-actor Alex Fong.

She is now said to be seeing singer Juno Mak, apparently hiding out in his apartment when the scandal broke and the two have been spotted wearing identical rings.

Will she survive or sink?

For someone who built up her career with her sweetie-pie looks and image, the scandal can spell doom.

Not only did the Hong Kong Disneyland website pull out a video clip of Gillian and her Twins partner Charlene Choi, Ming Pao Daily reported they are also being dropped from potential endorsement deals like hot potatoes.

A Chinese toothpaste manufacturer with whom they had reportedly inked a HK$4 million ($724,000) contract, has called it off. The advertisement is actually only for Charlene, but the manufacturer was worried people might still mistake her for Gillian.

Mr Paul Chan, MediaCorp's vice-president of branding and promotions, told The New Paper: 'Unfair as it sounds, the women will suffer more from the scandal than the man, especially since viewers have always seen these women as 'yu nu' (Mandarin for jade maiden).'

Yet, all doesn't seem to be lost.

Gillian is due to star in a sword-fighting adaptation of the legend of the Butterfly Lovers alongside Wu Wu Chun and Nicholas Tse, and the film's producer has denied any change in plans.

Rock Records managing director Ngiam K H feels sympathy votes may be won from the public because 'not many people will point their fingers at the victims'.

And after her press conference on Monday, where she admitted she was 'naive and silly', Gillian was all smiles on her way to recording for her new album.


Bobo Chan, 29

The showbiz career of this former model turned singer-actress has always been mediocre and she is probably best known for dating Edison. They broke up in 2004.

Will she survive or sink?

Bobo had already faded out of showbiz before the scandal broke out.

But her dreams of marrying a rich man may go up in smoke, as the conservative mother of her rich financial whiz fiance cancelled her August nuptials in anger.

At least Bobo's fiance is still standing by her, reported Sing Tao Daily.

She was seen flying to San Francisco recently to escape the media attention, and sobbing on the shoulder of her boyfriend while boarding the plane.

But her ordeal is not yet over. Fresh pictures of women resembling her and Rachel Ngan surfaced on Valentine's Day.


Maggie Q, 29

A photo of Maggie Q posing with her skirt upturned emerged on Tuesday, but it was quickly discovered that it was a publicity shot taken for Edison's clothing line.

Nevertheless, she is still purported to be the next victim as she is known to be close to Edison.

She started her career in Hong Kong with throwaway roles in B-grade movies like Gen-Y Cops and Naked Weapon and became better known for her love life and sexy looks.

Maggie dated Daniel Wu before both became famous, and was briefly with Japanese footballer Hidetoshi Nakata.

She was last linked to Korean-American actor Daniel Henney.

Will she survive or sink?

Even if there are unsavoury photos of her, we doubt it will affect Maggie's soaring career much.

After all, the actress is finally on the fast track to stardom in Hollywood, when all her years in Hong Kong only yielded mediocre results.

And perhaps intimate photos might just boost her sexy image further and up her street cred in that more liberal Tinseltown.

The Mission: Impossible III girl, who was last seen in Balls Of Fury, has her latest movie Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, alongside Andy Lau and Sammo Hung, slated for release in April.


Vincy Yeung, 20

The only non-celebrity, she is the niece of Emperor Entertainment Group's chairman Albert Yeung and reportedly started dating Edison in 2004.

Vincy, who is attending university in the US, is also the only girlfriend that Edison had admitted to having, even going to the extent of promising to marry her when he has earned US$20 million ($28.3m).

Netizens are calling for further investigations into photos of a girl resembling Vincy, showing her standing naked in the shower, as some believe they could have been taken before she was of legal age.

'Sexy Photo Gate' Mesmerizes Hong Kong, China and Sparks Police Crackdown

Source The Wall Street Journal

THE TWIST

'Sexy Photo Gate' Mesmerizes
Hong Kong, China and Sparks
Police Crackdown, Backlash

Heartthrob Edison Chen Asks for Decency

By GEOFFREY A. FOWLER and JONATHAN CHENG
February 15, 2008 3:48 p.m.

HONG KONG -- If Chinese heartthrob Edison Chen really did take 1,300 photos of himself in compromising positions with a dozen or so starlets, it was a bad idea.

Over the past two weeks, someone calling himself "Kira" has posted hundreds of photos online that purport to illustrate the sexual exploits of Mr. Chen, a 27-year-old actor, hip-hop artist, Pepsi pitchman and "newcomer" in People magazine's 2006 Sexiest Man Alive issue. The starlets include some of the biggest draws in Asia, including Gillian Chung, one half of Twins, a squeaky-clean pop duo featured in recent promotions for Hong Kong Disneyland.


The result: China's first big Internet celebrity sex scandal. Hong Kong's newspapers splash the photos liberally across front pages, with sensitive portions blacked out. On popular Chinese-language Web sites, which call the hubbub Sexy Photo Gate, bloggers pore over the photos' authenticity, comparing portions of the explicit images to existing shots of Mr. Chen's bedroom and the starlets' known tattoos.

In Hong Kong, it has become the talk of the town. Trevor Wong says he complied when his aunts, curious about the buzz, asked him to show them the original photos on the Web at a Chinese New Year family gathering last week. "Strange, right?" says the Hong Kong advertising executive. A few days later, his 82-year-old grandmother asked to see them, too.

"We talked about it, and it felt OK," he says.

In this part of the world, Sexy Photo Gate is much more than your average Paris Hilton affair. In mainland China, which tightly monitors Internet content through a series of blocks often called the "Great Firewall," the rapid spread of the images challenges the effectiveness of government controls. In Hong Kong, aggressive moves by police, which have arrested nine people involved in distributing the photos, has made the scandal an unusual rallying point for protecting civil liberties.

Nobody is questioning the authenticity of most of the photos. But Mr. Chen and the other stars have neither admitted nor denied taking them. Instead, Mr. Chen posted a video on his blog telling people to stop looking at the pictures and to delete them. "Let's help the wounded heal their wounds," said a haggard-looking Mr. Chen, sitting in front of a white wall.

On Monday, Ms. Chung held a press conference that was so jammed with photographers, who were stacked to the ceiling on stepladders, that one yelled: "If anyone moves, we're all going to die!" Ms. Chung, who has been marketed with a cute, chaste image, admitted in her 70-second speech to the sin of being "naive and very silly."

Fans waved lit-up signs that read, "We will support you forever."

Responses to the controversy have been surprisingly candid, for societies that are often conservative about sex. Psychologists offer tips in the local press to parents on how to discuss the matter with children. Mr. Chen, who has long cultivated a bad boy image, has been labeled a hypocrite after his plea for decency. Several bloggers doctored photos of him to resemble Osama bin Laden, a reference to his spartan video statement, shot in an undisclosed hideout.

Mr. Chen was raised partially in Canada before kicking off his Chinese entertainment career in 1999 after being noticed by a scout while clubbing in Hong Kong. In recent years, he turned entrepreneurial, founding Clot Inc., a hip-hop themed design, promotion and entertainment production firm, as well as lending his image to ads for Samsung cameras and Levi's jeans, among many other brands.

The photos of Mr. Chen and Ms. Chung first surfaced in Hong Kong online discussion forums on Jan. 27. The Emperor Entertainment Group, a powerful player in the region's celebrity industry that was behind the rise of both Ms. Chung and Mr. Chen, immediately condemned the photos, calling on the Hong Kong police to take action. The police dispatched a team of 19 investigators to root out the source of the material, quickly identifying 30 computers likely involved in distributing the photos.

The photos appear to have been stolen from Mr. Chen's pink Apple MacBook after he brought it to a Hong Kong repair shop. Police arrested several people who had posted the images online, and charged one 23-year-old repairman with accessing a computer with criminal or dishonest intent. Hong Kong law forbids publishing obscene or indecent material -- stolen or otherwise -- in a public place, including the Internet. Police announced that they had caught the source, or at least were very close.

The photos kept coming. They included pictures of actresses Bobo Chan and Cecilia Cheung, as well as the niece of Emperor Group's chairman. An online mystery man calling himself Kira taunted the police, claiming to be the source of over 300 photos that had already leaked and promising to deliver 600 more photos, plus a 32-minute video of Mr. Chen with Ms. Chung.

Police have employed some tough rhetoric. Commissioner Tang King-shing warned that sharing the photos via email, and even storing them on a personal computer, might be illegal. The public balked. "If many people send spam emails with pornographic pictures to Police Commissioner Tang King-shing's email, will he be arrested?" asked Sin Chung-kai, a member of Hong Kong's legislative council.

The police later amended Mr. Tang's statement, saying that looking at the photos or emailing them between mutual friends isn't against the law, although posting them to Web sites is.

The police's exuberance in cracking down on naked photos of celebrities has triggered a popular backlash from some Internet users, who feel the cops are curbing their rights in order to serve the powerful. These critics have embraced Kira as a modern-day Robin Hood, playing catch-me-if-you-can with the cops, as he trickles out new graphic shots via email, chat rooms and file-sharing programs. To date, photos of Mr. Chen with eight different women have surfaced.

In Hong Kong, which has a long tradition of freedom of expression, some 250 protestors hit the streets last Sunday at an "Internet users' march," to chants of "the police abuse their powers, the little people suffer calamity!"

Most of the 200 participants in the march were at pains to distinguish their concerns about police powers from the lurid fascination with celebrity nudity. Some in the mostly male crowd marched with their faces partially obscured by masks or posters.

Protest organizer and Hong Kong University law student Sidney Fong, 22, stressed he was objecting to what he called the government's selective prosecution of Internet crimes. "This is absolutely not a pro-porn protest," he says.

Veteran pro-democracy agitator and lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok-hung, who also marched, calls the police action "prejudice on the small potatoes."

In mainland China, where the government has a long tradition of censoring the media, the ideals of keeping the Internet clean have run up against the practicality of stopping the growing interest in Sexy Photo Gate. Just last month, authorities promised to continue a multi-ministry crackdown on online pornography, saying that their efforts last year led to the detention of 868 people and the deletion of 440,000 postings. After Mr. Chen's photos emerged, authorities in one Chinese province warned residents that sharing the photos could bring a three-year prison sentence. They haven't announced any arrests.

Yet the incident has been widely discussed on mainstream Chinese Web sites. On bulletin board Tianya, a discussion thread called "Edison Chen and Gillian Chung's Bedroom Photos! Is it true or not?" has been viewed nearly 28 million times, and features nearly 155,000 posts. Following the crackdown by Hong Kong police, some people in the territory have even turned to mainland Web sites to share the photos.

Government inattention during the recent Lunar New Year holiday, China's biggest annual break, may be one reason. Han Yingxiang, the deputy director of the online police in Jilin, says that the censoring activity has just begun, but is difficult because the Internet "is widely used and the population of Netizens is too large."

Bloggers have taken the photos' proliferation as proof that attempts to police the Internet will fail. "Each new release of a picture is clearly a response to the tough image that the police tries to cultivate," wrote one commenter, who called himself "Buddha's Head," on mainland Chinese online forum KD Net. "Put simply, this is nothing other than a direct challenge to the authority of the police."

In response, a person named john_mo, left a poem echoing Mao Zedong's famous call to let a "hundred flowers bloom," which encouraged ordinary citizens to express their views publicly.

It read, in part: When one IP address is shut down, a hundred thousand spring up/When one identity is shut down, a hundred thousand spring up.


Bai Lin in Shanghai contributed to this story.

Allegedly Feuding Management Company Caused Nude Picture Scandal

Source
Credits: Serena @http://asian-gossip.blogspot.com/

The sex picture scandal is not stopping. A mysterious person going by the alias “Kira” is leaking these pictures because he couldn’t get the ransom money. Also, Edison Chen's father (陳澤民) had substantial debt, was cited as the reason behind the scandal. There are also rumours that involved Hong Kong’s two largest artistes’ management companies, EEG and China Star, feuding with each other. It can be seen by the order of release of the nude pictures. The first female star was EEG’s Gillian Chung. Then it was China Star’s “traitor” Cecilia Cheung. Afterwards, it was Albert Yeung’s niece, Vincy.

According to Taiwan’s ETtoday online news report on February, the two companies had several clashes. People noticed that this scandal was directed at EEG and Albert Yeung. Edison had several roles: singer, idol, clothing store owner and the tabloid boyfriend of Gillian, Cecilia Cheung, BoBo Chan and others. He was also the son of a wealthy businessman, and boyfriend of Albert Yeung’s niece. The last two identities are key reasons to the sex picture scandal.

The two companies have been clashing with each other for a while. It can be clearly seen from the marriage of Cecilia and Nicholas Tse. EEG owns the entire management contract of Nicholas. During that time, China Star signed Cecilia’s movie management contract. The two companies’ first major clash was over Nicholas and Cecilia’s relationship. Cecilia was encouraged by China Star to abandon the relationship and maintain her image. Cecilia successfully became a “Best Actress” and China Star won the first round.

But, Cecilia and Nicholas reunited their love. Cecilia’s relationship with China Star quickly took a turn for the worse. The two announced their reunited relationship to the public through EEG and China Star was still unaware of the events. To save face, China Star and EEG comprised with each other to release the related information.

Afterwards, Nicholas and Cecilia quickly got married overseas. Once again, EEG released information to the public. And again, China Star was not aware of what happened and they could not stand it anymore. There were rumours that they would sever their contract with Cecilia. But Cecilia had backing and beat China Star to the court. She sued China Star for NTK$ 65 million of income.

On the day of the court proceedings, Cecilia dramatically announced that she was going to settle out of court. It can be seen that both companies had a temporary ceasefire agreement. China Star completely let go of Cecilia who was the product of their training and promotion.

Peter Lam: Edison Chen may not be returning tonight

Source: HK Yahoo
Translation by: evodrift @asianfanatics
Saturday
HK time: 12:00am



Entertainer Edison Chen's respective company East Aisa entertainment President Peter Lam indicated that;
there are some matters which Edison Chen's needs to arrange, therefore there's a possibility he will not be returning to Hong Kong tonight.

Hong Kong entertainment tycoon Peter Lam (林建岳) expressed: As Edison Chen may not be returning to Hong Kong tonight, there will not be a press conference tomorrow to explain the matter over the nude photographs resembling entertainers. He pointed out that Edison Chen may return to Hong Kong next week to explain matters.

Gillian & Juno: True Love in the Face of Hardship

http://ent.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/news/show_news.cgi?type=pic&date=2008-02-16&id=219151&ct=pic
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/
translated by dee-lush

Juno Mak, who has been trying hard to pursue Gillian Chung for quite a while, has deepened his relationship with Gillian, in the face of the sex photos scandal. The relationship was exposed after the two were seen wearing rings and sunglasses of the same style. Yesterday, when reporters asked the two, separately, to clarify the latest allegations, both refused to comment, making the issue seem even more mysterious.

Although Gillian and Juno have declined to comment on the issue, it has become a hot topic that netizens have been debating on. Some believe that the relationship will not last while others believe that Juno has shown his true love in the face of hardship. Some have also compared Juno to Edison, praising Juno for having a better family background and personality than the pretty boy.

Kira is back with 2 new photos!

Source

Just when everything seems to be getting back to normal, two more photos of a female starlet apparently linked to Edison Chen sex photos scandal was leaked onto the internet early yesterday morning.

The photos are believed to be of the same girl where she appears naked in one and performing a sexual act on a guy in the other. The quality of both pictures are pretty low resolution from a video camera. The photos matched the set of photos released of the girl earlier on. The girl is believed to be Rachel Ngan.

A simple check of the photo showed that it was taken using a Sony DCR-PC100 on 30th July 2001. The date matches with what Rachel said in an earlier interview about intimate photos she had taken with Edison in the past.

The photos was posted on 香港高登 early yesterday morning. A poster by the name of 牛腩3号 posted the photo asking the laptop model in the background of one of the photos. Netizens were shocked to find out that the photo was not seen before and the post was swiftly deleted. The forum admins have notified the police and believed that 牛腩3号 might lead them to “Kira”.

Filming Martial Arts Lover with Gillian - Wu Zun's Fans Against It

Source: UDN
Translated by Cmiley

Because of the scandal of Hong Kong female star Gillian Chung (Ah Jiao) and Edison Chen, her good girl image is ruined, protecting their idol this caused a stir with Wu Zun's fans, these few days China, Hong Kong and Taiwan's region websites have connected together, expressing to Wu Zun's management company for propaganda, requesting the company to not have Wu Zun and Gillian perform together in the film "Martial Arts Lovers". The fans have said, "We don't want Wu Zun's first film to be tarnished, Ah Gil is already not good enough for Wu Zun, this is filming the "Butterfly Lovers", not filming "Jin Ping Mei!"

Wu Zun is suppose to enter the big screen this year, it's scheduled to start filming Ma Chu Cheng's "Martial Arts Lover" after he finishes filming the idol drama "Hot Shot", originally the pairing of Wu Zun and Ah Gil would have been the perfect golden boy and girl, but now Ah Gil is involved in the Edison Chen scandal, the collaboration may change.

Ah Gil's management company EEG has denied Ah Gil will be changed the part, but has admitted that Nicholas Tse will not be filming in "Martial Arts Lover"; but the reason is because of the schedule conflicts.

Despite Ah Gil an artist stepping forward courageously, but most Hong Kong media still criticizes her act heavily.

The reason is because Ah Gil's image was a too deifying good girl image, this included her expressing in public of a kissing scene that made her feel gross, and not having pre-marriage sexual relationship, after the picture scandal this shows her contradicting. The Hong Kong media's comments have heavily criticized, "Not despised of her debauchery, but because of her hypocrisy."

Because of Ah Gil's current image Wu Zun's fans thinks she's not good enough to match him, they're also worried that after Wu Zun accepts this film, the focus on the news will be all fuzzy. Wu Zun's manager Chen Hui Ying yesterday says, not only expressing comments online, the company has also received many letters from fans or have called regarding the similar request, as for the criticism of Ah Gil, she says: "Everyone has the right to express their comments, really appreciate the support for Wu Zun, and we also respect all voices of expression."

As for the decision to resign from filming? She says, "We have been talking with this film for a long time, but until today we have still not made a decision, this is because lately the weather hasn't been good, the filming of "Hot Shot" has been delayed, so there could be a possibility of schedule conflict to not able to film."

Hong Kong producer of "Martial Arts Lovers" Xuan Jiazhen yesterday said he respects the suggestions from the fans, but hopes to have the fans to give them some time, so that we can find a solution that will be acceptable for everyone.

Cecilia Cheung & Nic Tse Sign Separation Papers?

Since the online circulation of Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi's nude photos, Cecilia and husband, Nicholas Tse Ting Fung have not made a public appearance. To avoid the paparazzi, the pair recently moved out of their old apartment.

The nature of Cecilia's photos was highly explicit. Also, judging by Cecilia's hairstyle in the photos, it was widely speculated that the pictures were taken around the the same time that Cecilia and Nic Tse got married in 2006. Thus there have been rumors that Cecilia may have been two-timing Nic Tse, while simultaneously engaged in a sexual affair with Edison Cheng Koon Hei.

The reverberations of the Edison Chen sex scandal have been far and wide, implicating many artists and their family members. Over the last few days, it was rumored that Nic Tse lost his temper over the release of Cecilia's nude photos. Allegedly, Nic removed his wedding ring and wanted to get a divorce.

According to a legal source, there were online rumors that Cecilia and Nic have already signed separation papers! Allegedly, Nic's reason in requesting a divorce was that Cecilia did not treasure their relationship and love.

When reporters asked Nic's father, Patrick Tse about the divorce rumors, he refused to comment. "I will not answer."

Attempts to contact Nic's mother, Deborah Dik Bo Lai, failed. Her voice mail picked up with Lunar New Year greetings. Apparently Cecilia's recent scandal has not dampened Deborah's spirits.

Source: Mingpao
Credits: Jayne

Kira received 7 million HK dollars, disappears forever

Source
Translated by Labyrinth

Kira received 7 million HK dollars, disappears forever.
Beijing, Feb 12, 2008

The curtain has dropped: According to friends in HK, all the photos we have seen thus so far were screen captures from videos. Gillian’s photos were the first 10 minutes of the video, why? Because it was a used as a bargaining chip for extortion. Secondly, the audio of the video involves the reputation of many other big-name celebrities.

Gaoqing (who?) has over 1000 photos alone, and they were partially released last year. The first time Edison’s photo got released was the result of a hacker. This hacker has the most complete data. In order to protect himself from hackers and trojans, he transferred part of his data to his Apple computer. Apple does not run Windows, and most trojan are designed towards windows. The photos that were stolen during his computer repair is only a small part, and that is to the person we come to know as Kira. Photos of Vincy Yeung released on the 9th was unexpected from EEG Music. As we know, Edison’s photo all came in a set, and every women has a complete collection including the sexual parts. Usually they are released in few numbers first, then released in completion. So Vincy has a complete collection too.

Kira’s upload on the 9th, 4:45 is the last upload from Kira. He had an agreement with EEG in the amount of 700 million hk dollars. Why did Gillian’s manager said Gillian would appear on the 11th? its because they have came to an agreement with Kira. After the money is received he needs 24 hours to confirm payment, and also time for him to flee. As a matter of fact, the photos he has have already been uploaded to various free servers in the United States and Europe. If the discussion does not fall into place or if anything were to happen to him, he has set automatic emails that would email the links to his trustworthy friends, so they can spread the files. The reason Gillian appears in front of the media on the 11th, and the fact that she had a big smile on her face, was because she knew the ordeal has came to a rest.

What’s Kira’s gain for showing us the photos? What does he get by destroying the life of these celebrities? He is not a warrior of morals, he’s just a regular Hong Kong citizen. Money is his ultimate choice. So everyone, please stop calling for him, he has disappeared forever. From tomorrow, there’s a lot more entertainers going to entertain us, and the danger is over. It is disappointed for us, but we all know the reason behind Kira’s action.

Gossip
The photos actually were stolen a long time ago. At first Kira talked to Edison, asking for 5 million HK dollars, but was not agreed upon. Edison was afraid he won’t be able to get back all the photos. He looked for Albert Yeung Shou Cheng (EEG’s president) to help him on the matter. Eventually, Kira released some information to the media, the magazines last year briefly mentioned this matter. However because of EEG’s influential power, magazines were afraid to show the photos nor pay Kira. Through the help of magazine’s editor, one of the three members from Kira’s group was found. He knew whether he surrender the photos or not, he was doomed. He did not say anything while being question, and was eventually killed. The other two then fled to Southeast Asia, and again try to distort EEG and Edison. Befor the matter gains public attention Edison already knew, because both parties could not agree on a price, this time Kira was asking more than 10 millions. Edison took a private car to Shenzhen, then to Macau, took a private plane from his dad’s friend to the United States, and look for Vincy Yeung to help his cause. Albert Yeung Shou Cheng thought he could handle the matter, but eventually it was still not solved. Kira has decided to raise the price, and released the photos the night when Edison fled HK. Since that day Kira has been raising his price every day. It is believed Kira is in Thailand and Indonesia, and Kira is a group of two, and the data has been uploaded to the United States.

Do not think you have seen the best of all, why hasn’t C10’s (Jolin Tsai Yi Ling) and Maggie Q’s photo being released? Because Kira hasn’t gotten the right price, or because of safety reason, there isn’t a safe way for him to get paid.

Right now, both parties are fighting. The involvement of HK police has propelled this tension to its maximum. If Kira is sure he couldn’t get his money, there’s gonna be a monster upload, but not all. The reason is because there’s heavy involvement from other celebrities, including HK, China and Taiwan. If Kira wants to live longer than Edison, he would have to have something to protect himself from.

It is obvious what is going to happen to Edison, he’s going to die unnaturally.

Vincy’s 3 photos was a declaration of power to EEG, showing Kira has even better materials. This action forced EEG to come to the table, leaving the police behind. Bobo’s photos that were uploaded today were no longer of importance, since she was only a sacrifice in this whole matter. However, Vincy, C10 (Jolin Tsai) and Maggie Q, definitely will not be released today. Because this is Kira’s ultimate chip. And the most controversial material in Kira’s collection?