News about the increasingly operatic breakup between Cecilia Cheung (張柏芝) and Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒) continues to dominate the grapevine even following the revelation and supposed papering over of what has now become known as the “airplane incident” (機上事件) in which Cheung was recently photographed with her ex-lover Edison Chen (陳冠希). Chen was responsible for a ruckus between Cheung and Tse in 2008 when explicit photos of his sexual adventures, which prominently featured Cheung, were posted on the Internet.
Since the incriminating in-flight photo was published, there have been rumors stemming from one blogger claiming to be a close friend of the couple that this trivial incident had been set aside and that cordial, if not warm, relations had been re-established between the two. This rapprochement either didn’t last long or never actually happened, for in developments this week, Cheung appears to have taken her two children away from the Tse household in an act that the Apple Daily suggests is aimed at causing maximum anxiety to Tse’s mother, Deborah Lee (狄波拉), who reportedly dotes on her two grandchildren.
This most recent action on Cheung’s part has added fuel to the fire in the ongoing battle between Cheung and Lee, who, according to the Apple Daily, hasn’t been a fan of the marriage since first learning of their nuptials in the Philippines through newspaper reports in 2006.
Photo: Taipei Times
The paper suggests that Lee may well be the source of a stream of information about Cheung’s lack of mothering skills, and it is a matter of record that Cheung has put career and lifestyle well ahead of her role of wife and mother. After the most recent marital debacle, the couple continued to pursue their separate careers, though on the financial front, rumors that Cheung is doing her best to suck as much money out of Tse’s family as possible are gaining currency.
According to a report in the United Daily News, Cheung has obtained control over much of Tse’s NT$2.2 billion personal fortune in the course of their marriage. The welfare of their two children and threats of suicide have reportedly been the bargaining chips used in these financial settlements.
Tse, who has not been without his own extra-marital entanglements, has complicated matters with his ongoing friendship with Gillian Chung (鍾欣桐), who, as it happens, was also featured in Chen’s Internet photo scandal. In a revelation earlier this week, Tse reportedly told a friend that “she [Cheung] isn’t my wife any more” (她不再是我的女人).
Still, the situation between Cheung and Tse remains fluid, and nobody in the gossip media is prepared to make any predictions about the outcome.
In a report published yesterday in Hong Kong’s Orient Daily (東方日報) citing an unnamed source close to Tse, the film star has summoned his lawyer to Kuala Lumpur, where he is currently filming, in order to consult on the implications of divorce and custody proceedings. Tse’s father Patrick Tse (謝賢), who had previously taken Cheung’s side in the many matrimonial ups and downs, seems to be closing ranks with his wife and son.
As for Chen, who remains the granddaddy of the explicit photo leak, it seems that he is at it again, though in this instance, the lack of explicit detail has caused some agencies to suggest that Chen is simply playing the media for a fool. The photos to have emerged following the “airplane incident” are of him and Huang Rongmi (黃榕密), a minor Hong Kong starlet who, it is suggested, Chen has had a three-year relationship with. Huang is quoted by Now.com as stating that: “I don’t care if he wants it all day, I’ll always go over. He is very clean, and will always bathe first.” It can’t help but make one wonder when elementary personal hygiene counts for so much among members of the entertainment industry. In the same report, friends of Huang are quoted as suggesting that Chen makes constant sexual demands and will not tolerate refusal. Clearly the scandal of 2008 has done little the tame his appetites.
As I finally slid into the warm embrace of the hot, clifftop pool, it was a serene moment of reflection. The sound of the river reflected off the cave walls, the white of our camping lights reflected off the dark, shimmering surface of the water, and I reflected on how fortunate I was to be here. After all, the beautiful walk through narrow canyons that had brought us here had been inaccessible for five years — and will be again soon. The day had started at the Huisun Forest Area (惠蓀林場), at the end of Nantou County Route 80, north and east
Specialty sandwiches loaded with the contents of an entire charcuterie board, overflowing with sauces, creams and all manner of creative add-ons, is perhaps one of the biggest global food trends of this year. From London to New York, lines form down the block for mortadella, burrata, pistachio and more stuffed between slices of fresh sourdough, rye or focaccia. To try the trend in Taipei, Munchies Mafia is for sure the spot — could this be the best sandwich in town? Carlos from Spain and Sergio from Mexico opened this spot just seven months ago. The two met working in the
Exceptions to the rule are sometimes revealing. For a brief few years, there was an emerging ideological split between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that appeared to be pushing the DPP in a direction that would be considered more liberal, and the KMT more conservative. In the previous column, “The KMT-DPP’s bureaucrat-led developmental state” (Dec. 11, page 12), we examined how Taiwan’s democratic system developed, and how both the two main parties largely accepted a similar consensus on how Taiwan should be run domestically and did not split along the left-right lines more familiar in
A six-episode, behind-the-scenes Disney+ docuseries about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man, are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week: Chip and Joanna Gaines take on a big job revamping a small home in the mountains of Colorado, video gamers can skateboard through hell in Sam Eng’s Skate Story and Rob Reiner gets the band back together for Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. MOVIES ■ Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man
RSS