Gillian Chung: actress-singer and victim of Hong Kong's 2008 photo scandal

Gillian Chung, a Hong Kong actress, and singer, gained fame as a member of the Cantopop duo Twins. However, her career took a downturn in 2008 when she became the victim of a highly publicized photo scandal that involved stars like Cecilia Chung and Edison Chen.

How is she now, in 2024?

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Gillian Chung was born Chung Tik-shan on January 21, 1981, in Hong Kong. According to Yahoo, one interesting fact about the star is that she has changed her name a total of two times, from Tik-shan to Ka-lai, and then finally to Yan-tung. She still keeps the name Ka-lai, while using Yan-tung as her stage name, alongside the anglicised name ‘Gillian’.

Gillian Chung was discovered by Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG) while she was working part-time. After starting out as a mere model, EEG promoted her to join a singing duo with Charlene Choi under the stage name 'Twins,' as revealed on the Hong Kong talk show 'Be My Guest’.

Gillian Chung was one of Asia's most popular celebrities in the 2000s as half of the duo ‘Twins’. Her career included not only music releases but also acting roles in several Hong Kong films and TV shows.

Did you know?: Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung were considered one of the most bankable celebrities at the time as ‘Twins’.

Image: Emperor Entertainment Group

Sadly, explicit photos of Gillian Chung and actor-singer Edison Chen were leaked online in 2008. The scandal is still remembered as one of the biggest in Hong Kong entertainment, and it sent shockwaves through the industry, tarnishing the reputations of those involved.

According to the South China Morning Post, many people were disappointed in Gillian Chung for 'ruining' the group's wholesome image, and the pressure was so intense that Gillian Chung considered suicide once, despite the fact that the star was a victim of the insidious photo leak.

Even though Gillian Chung was the only member of the 'Twins' involved in the scandal, the fallout has affected bandmate Charlene Choi as well. South China Morning Post reported that the band had decided to go on a hiatus in 2008 to recover from the scandal.

Following the scandal, Gillian Chung faced challenges rebuilding her career. South China Morning Post reports that the star took a year’s hiatus to rebuild her bankability as an actress-singer by picking up martial arts, gymnastics and undergoing further training in acting, singing, and dancing.

Despite taking much courage to return to the scene in 2009, Gillian Chung’s return to TV since her hiatus on an episode of ‘Be My Guest’ was still an unwelcome one for Hong Kong audiences. According to Wen Wei Po, the public filed a whopping 679 complaints in response to her TV appearance.

However, Gillian Chung was unfazed and continued to be resilient. Since the scandal in 2008, she has managed to return to the singing scene by releasing music with Charlene Choi under ‘Twins’ and has managed to land multiple roles on TV and film!

Gillian Chung’s story is one of resilience and perseverance, as the star later managed to find love by marrying doctor Michael Lai in 2018. Although Asia One reports that the couple divorced in 2020, Michael Lai has this to say about his now-ex-wife: "She doesn't love me."

Michael Lai's remark may reveal where Gillian Chung's true heart lies. Prior to her divorce in 2020, she gained attention for spending over 20,000 yuan on Douyin livestreamer Yu Yanlong, whom Today Online describes as an Edison Chen lookalike. Netizens accused her of spending her husband's money on "handsome boys”.

Image: q_gill / Instagram

In response to the accusations, Gillian Chung and her agency issued a statement claiming that her support for the livestreamer was purely for encouragement and that she had given e-gifts to other streamers as well as Edison Chen lookalike Yu Yanlong.

Image: q_gill / Instagram

In June, Gillian Chung was spotted kissing a Chinese influencer, Huangfu Shenghua, also known as the "female Edison Chen", according to 8days.

Image: q_gill / Instagram

The same report from 8days notes that this news had caused a commotion onine, with netizens debating on whether it was really Gillian Chung who was kissed, as well as of her relationship with the “female Edison Chen”, among other theories.

Image: q_gill / Instagram

Regardless of how Gillian Chung has managed to rise above the professional ramifications of the 2008 photo scandal, it appears that her association with Edison Chen's lookalikes in recent years and still in 2023, will make it difficult for her to avoid the controversies surrounding it.

Image: q_gill / Instagram

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