Liu Chien-kuo says his romance with Adrean Lee is over

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) yesterday released a statement saying that his romantic relationship with former New Taipei City councilor Adrean Lee (李婉鈺) was over and that he hoped recent controversy about their relationship would end soon.

Public discussion of Lee’s and Liu’s relationship status resurfaced on Monday after Lee posted a photograph on Facebook showing herself next to a man in bed, who appeared to be Liu, with his arm around her.

Liu immediately released a statement saying that he “used to” be in a relationship with Lee, while Lee said that their relationship was “ongoing” and that she would marry him.

After the Chinese-language Next Magazine reported on their relationship in yesterday’s edtion, Liu issued another statement saying that the relationship was “something in the past” and that the two had separated to “give each other more space.”

Liu said he was sorry that he was unable to keep his private and public lives seperate, adding that he felt that both parties, especially Lee, would realize that there were no absolute wrongs and rights in relationships.

Liu apologized to Lee for his handling of the issue when it was first reported, adding that he hoped to draw an end to the controversy and that the media should focus on other matters, such as politics, foreign diplomacy, food security and environmental protection policies.

Liu said the statement would be his last on the relationship with Lee.

Next Magazine reported that Liu had tried to end the relationship with Lee two years ago, but Lee had attempted to salvage it, causing both of them to frequently quarrel.

It said that while Liu broke off contact with Lee following their fights, Lee continued to send him photographs of themselves as a couple in the hope that he would meet with her to talk things over.

Lee said that she would take legal action against the magazine.

“Apparently I am going crazy over something that happened about two years ago. Ludicrous! So, I am basically sleeping with an imaginary person every night, is that it?” she said in an interview with SET-TV.

Lee said that she had been in direct communication with Liu on how to handle the controversy and that she “would understand if he did not want to say anything,” adding that the magazine’s report was absurd.