Leaked intimate online conversations and other details that have emerged in the past two days have led to suspicions that popular cartoonist “Wan Wan” (彎彎) was set up by her male counterpart in the alleged extramarital affair that has grabbed public attention this week.
Much of the shock and anger over the scandal is now directed against Huang Chien-ming (黃建銘), reportedly an old flame of Wan Wan’s with whom she was alleged to have restarted a relationship, for his suspected role in plotting the revelation of the affair to the press, as well as for his cowardice by remaining in hiding for the past few days.
Huang has been labeled manipulative and scheming.
It has been reported in the Chinese-language media that he was enticing the newlywed Wan Wan to have an affair in order to destroy her marriage.
“This interloper Huang is scum. He could not have Wan Wan all to himself, so he formulated a plan to destroy her,” one netizen wrote.
Many were also enraged that Huang continues to hide, as Wan Wan has stood alone to take all the blame and pressure, and they demanded that Huang come out and face the public.
Reports of Wan Wan’s alleged extramarital affair made the news on Wednesday, with photographs published of her on a dinner date, holding hands and kissing with Huang. The two then went for a night drive to a mountain park on the outskirts of Taipei.
The report alleged the two began the affair just 12 days after the cartoonist’s wedding and went out together at least three times in past weeks.
A media firestorm ensued, as the press and online social media were buzzing with intense discussion of the “Wan Wan affair.”
Wan Wan, whose real name as Hu Chia-wei (胡家瑋), was married on May 17 to Ho Chi-yuan (何吉原). The two had reportedly been in a steady relationship for 10 years.
Many of her fans were shocked and disappointed, because the highly popular Wan Wan had a wholesome, girl-next-door image, and her comic books had always sold well.
Her meteoric rise to fame began in 2005 with her drawing of comic figures, and she has since become a highly sought-after cartoonist and author in Taiwan.
On Thursday, intimate exchanges on popular social messaging service Line between Wan Wan and Huang were leaked to the press. They appeared to be affectionate conversations between the two, and plans for going to a hotel in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), just weeks before her wedding to Ho.
Most people now suspect that Huang deliberately leaked the conversations, in an attempt to show the two had been in a romantic relationship for some time.
Close examination of photographs taken of the two dining and kissing seemed to show that Huang knew they were being followed, as he was looking directly into the paparazzi’s camera in some pictures.
This recent news has sparked the press and online community into a fervor, with many denouncing Huang as devious, for informing the paparazzi of his plans prior to meeting Wan Wan and setting up her fall from grace.
Wan Wan has made apologies to the public for the extramarital affair. Some fans have been sympathetic to her for allegedly being betrayed by Huang, while others have said they are very disappointed in her conduct.
Now pressure is mounting on Huang to stop hiding and come out to face the music.
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