Gillian Chung makes official comeback appearance

HK celebrity Gillian Chung makes official comeback appearance

Hong Kong celebrity Gillian Chung has made her first official comeback appearance. Her clean cut image was shattered last year by a s*x-photo scandal involving actor Edison Chen.

Gillian Chung admitted that she was scared to face the media on Tuesday, but she said she was determined to return to showbiz.

The 28-year-old appeared as the regional ambassador for a local fashion label, Bauhaus TOUGH Jeansmith. She reportedly received a seven-digit sum for the gig.

Bauhaus said Gillian Chung's ability to overcome challenges fits with the brand's image, and in what's believed to be the first time, Gillian Chung addressed the media in English.

Gillian Chung appearance on a televised charity show soon after the scandal drew more than 2,000 complaints, forcing her to put her career on hold.

"This year was quite hard for me. I had lots of pressure. But I know I have to face the problem and I have a long road to go. So I learned martial arts, dancing and singing. I hope when I come back I can do my very best," she said.


Taiwan Welcomes Gillian Chung !!!


Gillian Chung was greeted with flowers at Taipei airport.

The beautiful and hardworking star is scheduled to take her comeback international as she fronts a promotional campaign in Taipei for a jeans company.

Gillian Chung is due to meet up with her Twins partner and best friend, Charlene Choi, who is currently filming in Taiwan. But the duo do not plan to appear together in public just yet.

Gillian Chung - Becomes FIBA diamond ball ambassador ???

Gillian Chung (鍾欣桐) stops to sign an autograph for a fan at the final of the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball For Women basketball tournament, 05 August 2008, Haining, China. This was Gillian's first public appearance after an absence of nearly six months.

Gillian Chung Attends Basketball Game

Gillian Chung (鍾欣桐) made an appearance yesterday evening at the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball For Women in Haining, where she was inaugurated as promotional ambassador and stayed to enjoy the basketball match between champions USA and Australia.

Returning to work after an absence of several months following her implication in the sex photos scandal in February, Gillian Chung proved that she still had some appeal as the audience called out her name and fans stopped by to ask for her autograph. Some of her fans had especially travelled to see her from as far away as Shanghai and Hangzhou and had spent thousands of dollars on touted tickets for the game.

Yumiko Cheng (鄭希怡) and Kenny Kwan (關智斌) also appeared at the event and made a guest performance. The three celebrities then posed for photographs with the China team, who had come third in the tournament and wished them good luck for the Olympics.

Gillian Chung exclaimed that this was the first time she had watched an international basketball game and she was honoured to meet the Chinese national team. She hoped that all of China's athletes will find good results at the Olympics.

Gillian Chung becomes FIBA diamond ball ambassador

Hong Kong singer and actress Gillian Chung hosts a jump ball
of the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball for Women in Haining on Tuesday,

Hong Kong singer and actress Gillian Chung, half of the Hong Kong pop duo Twins, opened a match of the 2008 FIBA Diamond Ball for Women as a tournament ambassador in Haining, eastern China's Zhejiang Province, on Tuesday evening.

Web site hinews.cn reports that it is Chung's first appearance on the Chinese mainland after a nude photo scandal early this year.

Chung's agent said she attended the event for its positive cause, but it does not signal her return to the stage. Gillian Chung will formally resume work after the Olympics.

Gillian Chung's Scenes will not be deleted in "Mei Lanfang

After involving in a nude photo scandal, Hong Kong Pop star Gillian Chung of "Twins" still had a hard time to face the fans.


Gillian Chung at the airport after the nude photo scandal

But an industry insider said to Beijing News that her scenes in the movie "Mei Lanfang" will not be deleted.

Director Chen Kaige's new movie "Mei Lanfang" will be on screens at coming December. Gillian plays the role of young wife of 'Mei', the late Peking opera master, in the movie.

Gillian Chung

An industry insider has denied reports that scenes featuring Hong Kong star Gillian Chung will be deleted from the movie "Mei Lanfang". The star has been involved in a nude photo scandal, the Beijing News reports on Tuesday.

Director Chen Kaige's new movie "Mei Lanfang" is set to hit the screens this December. Gillian plays the young wife of Mei, the late Peking opera master in the movie.

Some media reports have suggested that all scenes featuring Gillian will be deleted. Such a suspicion was caused by a promotional booklet released by China Film Group Corporation, the movie's producer during the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The booklet featured several names of the star-studded cast such including Zhang Ziyi and Leon Lai. But Gillian's name was absent.

However, Huang Bin, an assistant of Chen Kaige denied these reports, saying that the film editing has not been completed. The director's final decision is still unknown.

Gillian once tried to return to the stage after being involved in a nude photo scandal. But the pop singer had to stop working after her return to the spotlight drew several complaints from the public.

New Leaks for Edison Sex Scandal ???

Is She Joey Yung ???

It seems to be an endless leaks for sex scandal photos by Edison Chen. When surfacing on Internet today, the photo was met with and caught my eyes, the first time I saw a Joey Yung sex scandal photo. Let's cite some news from Asiaone:

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YET another female celebrity has fallen victim to the nude-picture scandal now raging on Hong Kong newstands.

Raunchy images of Hong Kong singer Joey Yung captured in suggestive poses surfaced online on Thursday, the fourth female celebrity to have racy photos supposedly exposed in the media. But while the other female celebrities have all been romantically linked with Hong Kong actor Edison Chen, Joey has not been known to have been involved with him.

Are the latest pictures genuine?
That is the question police investigators are trying to determine. The chain of scandal began on Sunday when a compromising photo of Twins star Gillian Chung and Edison Chen appeared in the adult photo section of a Hong Kong forum.

More pictures appeared, one allegedly showing retired singer-actress Bobo Chan performing a sex act on Edison.
Still more pictures followed, this time supposedly showing actress Cecilia Cheung in various states of undress.

MAY BE REAL
Hong Kong police and photo experts who examined the photos involving the first three female celebrities say the photos are unlikely to have been digitally manipulated.
They have the following reasons:

Firstly, they said the lighting and shadows in the background are hard to piece together digitally. Secondly, the faces and the necks of the celebrities shown do not appear to be digitally joined.
The police also said that because of the low resolution of the photos, they are not ruling out the possibility of the pictures having been taken with a handphone.
Meanwhile, rumours are rife that the marriage of Cecilia Cheung and Nicholas Tse is on the rocks over the scandal.

However, Patrick Tse, Nicholas's father, has refuted these rumours. A spokesman for Cecilia said the actress hopes the culprit will be apprehended soon. She also dismissed rumours of her marriage turning sour and said their relationship was good, and thanked everyone for their concern.
There has also been talk that Gillian had attempted suicide following the scandal. But her manager has explained to the media that Gillian has been given leave to rest following a bout of fever due to the recent cold weather. The Hong Kong media has recently listed 14 female celebrities who are allegedly at risk of being 'exposed'.

Among them are Elva Hsiao, Jolin Tsai, Maggie Q, Nikki Chow, Rain Li and Rosanne Wong. These celebrities have all been linked with Edison at some point.
The on-going scandal, along with that involving a Singaporean whose nude pictures have been circulated ever since he joined the Manhunt contest, raises the question: Why risk being exposed by having nude, compromising pictures taken in the first place?

Celebrities and star-wannabees are not alone, said Dr Lionel Lim, a consultant psychiatrist at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre. He said some ordinary people also like to capture themselves on video engaged in sexual acts for various reasons.

Said Dr Lim: 'Some people like to do it because they are curious about what it would be like to be on the other side of the camera. 'There is an element of exhibitionism. They may think they have nice bodies and enjoy looking at themselves, and film themselves for their own private consumption,' he added.

'On the other hand, there are the other group of people who capture themselves in sexual acts as it may increase their arousal,' he said.

DEVIANT
'In such cases, there might be a little bit of a voyeuristic tendency.
'Watching their own videos suggests a voyeuristic tendency while being filmed smacks of exhibitionism,' hesaid.

'Either way, these two tendencies are sexual in nature.
'Whether or not they are considered deviant is dependent on personal values and societal norms,' explained Dr Lim.

Edison Chen Scandals - My Brand Is Better Than Edison's ???

Juno Mak (麥浚龍) was a VIP fan at an autograph-signing session that N*E*R*D's Pharrell Williams and Shay Haley held in Hong Kong yesterday.

Juno, who has recently gone to Japan for work, denied that Gillian Chung (鍾欣桐) was his travelling companion. Hong Kong press have rumoured that the pair are dating since Juno comforted Gillian when she was implicated in the Edison Chen (陳冠希) sex photos scandal several weeks ago, when photos of Edison and women – purportedly including Gillian – having sex leaked onto the internet.

Juno said: "No. The work schedule was very tight. Everyone is wrong about Gillian coming with me to Japan. Nor did she come with me to a friend's wedding in Hawaii."

Reporters asked Juno about his lifestyle and fashion brand, Silly Thing, competing with Edison’s brand, CLOT.

Juno quipped: "Edison's products are very different to ours. Ours are more commercially successful and have been distributed in Japan and Paris. Besides, we have over 10 years of history. Edison's company was just cobbled together by a few friends."

He added: "The two directions are very different. I do high-end fashion. Edison does street-corner fashion."

When Juno was asked if Silly Thing would hire Gillian as a spokesmodel after she was unceremoniously axed by Adidas as a result of the scandal, he replied: "There's always a possibility. But you would have to ask her company."

Juno cheekily asked reporters whether or not his complexion had improved. He revealed that he is planning to grow a beard. A Hong Kong reporter joked that Juno wanted to look more mature alongside Gillian, who is three years his senior.

Edison Chen Scandals - Sex and Hipocrisy

You can hardly mention the word Hong Kong these days without a student bringing up the lurid sex scandal involving Edison Chen and some notable female Hong Kong Stars. Most of my students have expressed their indignation towards the actor who was once adored by teenage girls across Asia.

“I will never watch one of his movies again,” a student confidently stated in one of my classes recently. She explained that it would be too much of a distraction to watch him act now that she had seen the racy photos.

Of course, the “outrage” that was felt by my Chinese students and friends did not prevent them from taking a good long look at the leaked photos. The speed at which those 1300 photos were populated across the internet was remarkable for a country that portrays itself as conservative and traditional. And it was not just a matter of some overzealous sex bloggers posting the photos everywhere.


Everyday Chinese citizens, especially college students, viewed the photos and then called their friends over to watch or passed them on by email and QQ (the Chinese version of AIM and the Chinese knockoff of ICQ). Thus, the photos spread like wildfire and the Chinese Government were powerless to do anything about it.


This hypocrisy which saw Chinese citizens outwardly condemning the photos and the actions of Edison Chen while at the same time they were eagerly perusing through every photo they could find leads to an interesting question. Is the negative reaction to this scandal simply another example of Chinese people saying what they think the older generation wishes to hear but acting in quite a different manner?

Other news reports from China this year suggest that a quiet yet nonetheless powerful sexual revolution is taking place among the youth of China. The revolution, like in other countries, is taking occurring among the young population.

But it is a ‘hush-hush’ event and officially the discussion of sex or the engaging in premarital sex is still frowned upon. Thus, it is very likely that many of my students and friends are not reacting negatively to Chen’s photos from their own feelings but rather from a collective cultural feeling that still has some influence in China.

The fallout from this scandal also demonstrates what I have always assumed to be true in China. Talking about sex may be culturally taboo in public but behind close doors, the topics (and the acts) thrive especially among young people. In other words, Chinese people are like any other people around the world; sex fascinates them. That’s human nature. Nevertheless, it is comical to observe how Chinese people will go to great lengths to avoid the subject in a public setting.

When I press my students about their true feelings regarding the Chen photo scandal, most of them admit that his actions do not take away his worth as an actor. They also acknowledge that the scandal is comparable to similar episodes amongst Hollywood stars in the US. They realize as much that these kinds of scandals in the US seem to enhance people’s careers as opposed to destroying them.

But Edison Chen’s career in China may not be over. Just today, there was a report on QQ regarding the return of Chen to Hong Kong. My friends tell me that he has been in some new television advertisements. And it has been well over a month since the scandal blew up. Maybe the indignation has quieted down. Or maybe it was never really there to begin with. Only time will tell.

Robert Vance is a China based freelance writer and teacher who has traveled extensively throughout Asia and Latin America. He spent more than a decade as a radio broadcaster in the United States before moving to Asia to focus on writing about Chinese Culture.

He has also lived and traveled throughout Mexico and Central America. He holds a degree in Spanish and International Studies from the University of Michigan.

Presently, he is the senior editor at TeachAbroadChina.com which provides useful cultural information and tips for ex-pats living in the People's Republic of China. He also writes daily op-ed articles about Chinese culture and politics which appear on the website. His specialties include Latin American and Asian culture, Internet and Web content, politics, world travel, working abroad, and world affairs.

Priscilla Meirelles - Playboy Philippines Cover

The first cover girl for the Philippine edition of the Playboy magazine is Priscilla Meirelles, a Brazilian beauty titlest. The announcement was made in the magazine's launch at Hotel Sofitel earlier this evening.

On an earlier news, the Philippine version will be a tamed version of the original due to the majority of the Philippine population is of Roman Catholic faith. Read news here: Philippines To Launch Playboy, But No Nudity

Priscilla Meirelles was the 2004 Miss Earth winner and has been linked to Filipino actor John Estrada and TARA2 second placer Marc Nelson.


Priscilla Meirelles, the 1st cover girl for Philippines Playboy (3rd from left), holding the first copy of the Philippine Playboy edition at the magazine's launch on April 2, 2008. Together with her are some Playboy playmates and bunnies.



Other images of Priscilla Meirelles prior to Playboy Philippines:

Ramiele Malubay Eliminated From American Idol

Finalist Ramiele Malubay was eliminated tonight from the AMERICAN IDOL competition after she received the fewest votes. On Tuesday's performance show, contestants sang Dolly Parton songs, and Malubay, 20, from Miramar, FL, sang "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind."

On Tuesday, April 8 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), the Top 8 finalists (Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta, David Cook, Jason Castro, Kristy Lee Cook, Michael Johns and Syesha Mercado) will return to the Idol stage for a special performance show that features inspirational songs.

The following night, Wednesday, April 9 (7:30-10:00 PM ET/PT), the Emmy Award-winning IDOL GIVES BACK returns with an illustrious group of celebrity participants to help raise awareness and funds to benefit various U.S. and international charities. The one-of-a-kind philanthropic special will feature appearances by incredible international artists and sports figures including Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Mariah Carey, Robin Williams, Celine Dion, Forest Whitaker, Billy Crystal, Dane Cook, Kiefer Sutherland, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5, Heart, Gloria Estefan, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Jennifer Connolly, Elliott Yamin, Fantasia and Amy Adams.

One more finalist will go home and IDOL winner Jordin Sparks and recording sensation Chris Brown will perform “No Air” on a special results show, Thursday, April 10 (8:00-9:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed).

Charlene goes solo ???

Charlene Choi is going it alone as Twins partner Gillian Chung takes a break from the entertainment scene.

IT looks like Charlene Choi is pretty much going solo these days as her Twins partner Gillian Chung is taking a break from the Hong Kong entertainment scene.

Twenty-seven-year-old Chung, who is on extended vacation after her sex photo scandal with Edison Chen, will be going to Japan where she will mainly learn about singing and dancing.

That will effectively keep the gossip-plagued artiste out of the limelight for some time, as she will be unreachable for several months, at least.

Choi, 25, has her hands full juggling her packed filming schedules between two major Hong Kong films – Wind and Cloud: Storm Riders 2 and The Butterfly Lovers– which will keep her busy till mid-year.

She portrays Wind’s (played by Ekin Cheng) wife, Second Dream, in the much-awaited Storm Riders 2. She also stars as the female lead, Zhu Ying Tai, in The Butterfly Lovers alongside Wu Chun, of Taiwanese boyband Fahrenheit, who will be making his big-screen debut as Liang Shan Bo.

Playing president

NEWS that a film would be made about ROC Taiwan President-elect Ma Ying-jeou surfaced just days after he led his opposition party Kuomintang to an overwhelming victory in the Taiwanese presidential elections.

Clockwise from top left: Jet Li, Chow Yunfat and Takeshi Kaneshiro have been considered for the part of Taiwan’s President-elect Ma Ying-jeou in an upcoming film.

With a budget of US$20mil (RM64mil), the production is tentatively titled The Story of the President of Taiwan.

Taiwan director Wang Yu Ya has indicated that he has in mind candidates such as mainland Chinese Jet Li, Hong Kong veteran star Chow Yun-fat and Taiwanese-Japanese heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro to play the politician. Taiwanese media purportedly prefer Taiwanese actor Lee Chih Xi who has previously done frequent impersonations of Ma.

Handsome, intelligent, and articulate, Ma has such wide appeal that he has made an appearance on a TV talk show hosted by Taiwan’s 30 Magazine with American Chinese singer-songwriter Wang Leehom, during which they both strummed guitars and jointly sang I Understand.

Endorsement deal

NICHOLAS Teo has set a record of sorts for being the first non-Korean to be invited by South Korean electronics giant LG to endorse their LG mobile phones.

Malaysian Nicholas Teo has set a record of sorts for being the first non- Korean to be invited by South Korean electronics giant LG to endorse their LG mobile phones.

LG mobile phones are endorsed by Korean celebrities Hyun Bin and Kim Tae-hee in South Korea.

The Taiwan-based Malaysian singer-actor was appointed brand ambassador for LG Mobile on March 24 and unveiled as the Malaysian spokesperson for its new model KF510 handphone, which will be launched soon.

Often mistaken for popular Korean actor Kim Jae-won, the Sarawakian is also noted for his gentle smile.

He just staged his debut concert Nicholas (From Now On) Live in Malaysia at Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil, on Saturday.

Baby makes three

ROGER Kwok Chun On became a father recently when his wife Cindy Au gave birth to a boy at the Hong Kong Baptist Hospital.

The baby arrived two weeks ahead of the due date, but the couple remained calm, as they were well prepared. The Hong Kong TVB award-winning actor who is currently busy shooting series Cordial Heroes brought a camcorder into the labour room and taped the entire birthing process.

The couple named their son Brad, which means generous and magnanimous.

Since both of them like Brad Pitt, they hope that junior will grow up to be like the Hollywood actor.

Roger Kwok Chun On and Cindy Au Sin Yee with their newborn, Brad.