HK starlet says she was ‘naive’ amid photo scandal
Showbiz Desk

HONG KONG—The Hong Kong starlet at the centre of a sex photos scandal said Monday she had been “naive and silly” as the media storm over the explicit images reached a frenzy in the celebrity-obsessed city. Gillian Chung, one of several leading Canto-pop and film stars whose photos in compromising positions have been plastered across the Internet, made a brief statement to a horde of journalists after meeting with her fans.
The singer of popular Canto-pop group, Twins, voiced for the first time her anguish over the leaked pictures. “This incident has tormented and hurt me and the people around me. I admit that I used to be very naive and very silly, but I’ve already grown up now,” she told 150 reporters, photographers and cameramen.
“I thank my company, family and friends for their care and support. I deeply regret the impact the incident has caused to society and people. “I will work hard in the future and will positively face my life ahead ... I am thankful for the fans who haven’t given up on me,” said Chung who is popular with teenage girls. Chung is one of at least seven stars to be sucked into the twists and turns of the scandal over the photos which has dominated headlines in the southern Chinese territory for several weeks. They feature singer-actor Edison Chen with a string of Hong Kong starlets including Chung, actress Cecilia Cheung, and former actress Bobo Chan.
Chen, star of “Grudge 2”, has been romantically linked to all three in the past. The pictures with Chung are reported to have been taken as far back as 2001. Media reports say the photos were copied from Chen’s computer when he sent it in for repairs. The photos first started appearing several weeks ago on the Internet, and were initially dismissed as hoaxes. Local media also reported that CDs filled with hundreds of the racy pictures have appeared in the shops of the neighbouring Chinese city of Shenzhen and quickly sold out.
Vincy Yeung, Chen’s current girlfriend and niece of the boss of Chen’s management company, Emperor Entertainment Group, has told the media that she will stand by her man, despite pictures resembling her being published on the Internet over the weekend. Last week, Chen issued a statement on video website YouTube, in which he apologised to “anyone who has been affected by this strange, strange ordeal.”
“The lives of many innocent people have been affected by this malicious and criminal conduct,” he added. The police have made several arrests linked to the case, but have faced criticism that they have been over-zealous. Hundreds of Internet users marched Sunday to protest over the force’s handling of the case. John Tong, the city’s newly-appointed Catholic bishop has even weighed in, saying people should stop passing on the pictures, according to the South China Morning Post.