Pop singer Selina Jen (任家萱) of the popular girl band S.H.E. made her first public appearance yesterday, months after she was seriously burned in China during the shooting of an explosion scene for a TV show.
“Sorry for making everyone so worried. I can finally go home today,” Selina said with tears and a smile to a conference hall packed with reporters at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in New Taipei City (新北市).
With closely cropped hair and wearing gloves, the 29-year-old singing sensation thanked her medical team, family, fiance, fans and peers for supporting her and praying for her along the way.
Photo: Hu Shun-hsiang, Taipei Times
Lin Chih-hung (林志鴻), one of the doctors who has treated Selina for 88 days since the Oct. 22 accident, said the singer sustained burns over 54 percent of her body.
“Every single move she makes is a mental and physical challenge,” Lin said.
Although she was discharged from the hospital one day earlier than scheduled, Selina still has a long period of rehabilitation ahead of her to deal with her scars and wounds, the doctor said.
Fellow band member Ella Chen (陳嘉樺), who helped Selina as she walked gingerly toward the conference hall stage, said it had been a difficult period for the injured singer, and there was more to come.
“There is still a long road ahead of her. This is just the beginning,” Ella said.
The third member of the trio, Hebe Tian (田馥甄), complimented Selina for her courage and gave her a hug.
News of Selina’s accident in Shanghai left her fans in shock and shook up the entertainment industry over the lack of safety measures for actors in China.
Her record company is now negotiating with the film team and a Chinese TV station over the cause of the incident and compensation.
“We will do our utmost to protect Selina’s rights,” HIM International Music general manager Linda Ho (何燕玲) said at the press conference.
Selina became a household name in Chinese-speaking communities worldwide in 2001, when S.H.E. shot to fame after their first album sold more than 750,000 copies in Asia.
Before her injury, Selina, who is engaged to her long-term boyfriend, was also well on her way to becoming a popular variety show host.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
GREATER REACH? Auto parts and wood products would face tariffs of up to 15%, matching those targeting the EU, Japan and South Korea, Vice Premier said The US has announced that preferential tariff treatment for Taiwan’s non-semiconductor Section 232 goods would take effect retroactively from May 1, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US government yesterday posted a notice on the Federal Register’s public inspection Web site previewing tariff concessions for Taiwan under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Taiwan-US investment after two months of negotiations. The MOU signed on Jan. 15 stipulated three major preferential tariff arrangements: a 15 percent “reciprocal” tariff rate for Taiwan without stacking most-favored nation (MFN) rates; preferential Section 232 treatment for semiconductors and related products; and preferential Section 232 treatment for non-semiconductor
TIT-FOR-TAT: The US allegedly revoked the visa of a Chinese national working at Xinhua News Agency in the US in response to Beijing’s expulsion of Vivian Wang The Presidential Office yesterday condemned China for expelling a New York Times correspondent from Beijing following the newspaper’s interview with President William Lai (賴清德), saying the move highlighted Beijing’s suppression of press freedom and its threat to international news media. Taiwan has noted a series of recent incidents in which Beijing used similar tactics to “threaten and pressure international media outlets and journalists,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) said in a statement. “This concerns not only press freedom and freedom of expression, but also the safety of journalists, and Taiwan and relevant partners are paying close attention to the situation,” she
RSS