The glamorous romance between Richard Li (李澤楷), the youngest son of business tycoon Li Ka-shing (李嘉誠), and starlet Isabella Leong (梁洛施) has hit the rocks in a spectacular smashup over which Hong Kong media have been licking their lips. What had originally been seen as a fairy-tale relationship has now been dubbed by the Chinese-language media as “the breakup of the century” (世紀分手). Papa Li, chairman of Hutchison Whampoa and Cheung Kong Holdings, is widely acknowledged as the richest person in Asia and is ranked the 14th richest person in the world, and this background of great wealth has fueled intense media speculation about the reasons for the separation and the amount of any settlement.
Earlier this week Li junior announced that he would separate from the Macau-born singer and actress also known as Luisa Isabella Nolasco da Silva. In the statement he categorically denied that a “third party” was involved, and stated that there was no financial dispute.
Both parties are keeping tight-lipped about the reasons for the breakup, which has only encouraged speculation. The most popular of the theories is the suggestion that Li formed a connection with 25-year-old model Mandy Lieu (劉碧麗). Lieu has vehemently denied suggestions that she is involved with Li, and Now.com, after extensive coverage of Lieu’s possible part in the breakup, says that the “third party” might be another woman called Mandy but surnamed “Cheung” or “Chong.”
Photo: Taipei times
When Leong was first linked to Li, the relationship was dubbed a “capitalist Cinderella dream” (資本主義的灰姑娘傳奇) come true, and whatever the truth of the allegations, Lieu has now acquired the nickname of the “Cinderella killer” (灰姑娘殺手).
Rumors of a separation payment of US$3.4 million have been reported, though there has been no confirmation. Although unmarried, Leong gave birth to three children by Li junior.
Leong’s prospects, however, are far from bleak. A return to the silver screen is widely rumored and industry insiders estimate her appearance fee would be second only to Cecilia Cheung’s (張柏芝). The Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) goes so far as to suggest she could easily pick up US$1.2 million for a feature appearance. Stay tuned.
Speaking of financial settlements, some details of a compensation payment for former S.H.E member Selina Jen (任家萱), who suffered severe burns to more than 50 percent of her body while filming the TV adaptation of the 1994 movie I Have a Date With Spring (我和春天有個約會) in Shanghai last year, have been released.
The United Daily News quoted unnamed Chinese media sources as saying a settlement worth US$1.5 million has brought the whole tragic incident to a close. This is regarded as a relatively low sum, with estimates based on Jen’s marketability at the time of the accident putting the appropriate figure at US$3.3 million. The paper speculates that the parties involved wanted to draw a line under the matter.
On a happier note, pop singer Fan Fan (范瑋琪) and basketball star-turned-entertainer Charles Chen (陳建州), better known as Blackie (黑人), will tie the knot in May. Earlier this week, the Apple Daily caught the couple at their wedding photo in Taipei’s Xinyi District. Celebrity rags are already drooling at the prospect of the nuptials as rumors are circulating that pop star Wang Lee-hom (王力宏) will be best man, Aboriginal musician Biung (王宏恩) will provide the music and the whole thing will be organized by Chang Hui-mei’s (張惠妹, aka A-mei, 阿妹) agent Edward Chan (陳鎮川). The Apple Daily estimates that the banquet, already booked for the recently opened W Hotel, will run to 50 tables at least.
Cheng Ching-hsiang (鄭青祥) turned a small triangle of concrete jammed between two old shops into a cool little bar called 9dimension. In front of the shop, a steampunk-like structure was welded by himself to serve as a booth where he prepares cocktails. “Yancheng used to be just old people,” he says, “but now young people are coming and creating the New Yancheng.” Around the corner, Yu Hsiu-jao (饒毓琇), opened Tiny Cafe. True to its name, it is the size of a cupboard and serves cold-brewed coffee. “Small shops are so special and have personality,” she says, “people come to Yancheng to find such treasures.” She
Late last month Philippines Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro told the Philippine Senate that the nation has sufficient funds to evacuate the nearly 170,000 Filipino residents in Taiwan, 84 percent of whom are migrant workers, in the event of war. Agencies have been exploring evacuation scenarios since early this year, she said. She also observed that since the Philippines has only limited ships, the government is consulting security agencies for alternatives. Filipinos are a distant third in overall migrant worker population. Indonesia has over 248,000 workers, followed by roughly 240,000 Vietnamese. It should be noted that there are another 170,000
Hannah Liao (廖宸萱) recalls the harassment she experienced on dating apps, an experience that left her frightened and disgusted. “I’ve tried some voice-based dating apps,” the 30-year-old says. “Right away, some guys would say things like, ‘Wanna talk dirty?’ or ‘Wanna suck my d**k?’” she says. Liao’s story is not unique. Ministry of Health and Welfare statistics show a more than 50 percent rise in sexual assault cases related to online encounters over the past five years. In 2023 alone, women comprised 7,698 of the 9,413 reported victims. Faced with a dating landscape that can feel more predatory than promising, many in
Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) attendance at the Chinese Communist Party’s (CPP) “Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War” parade in Beijing is infuriating, embarrassing and insulting to nearly everyone in Taiwan, and Taiwan’s friends and allies. She is also ripping off bandages and pouring salt into old wounds. In the process she managed to tie both the KMT and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) into uncomfortable knots. The KMT continues to honor their heroic fighters, who defended China against the invading Japanese Empire, which inflicted unimaginable horrors on the
RSS