Major public events have axed entertainer Aaron Yan (炎亞綸) from their programs, including the Beer Rock Festival in Kaohsiung and the Taiwan International Balloon Festival in Taitung County, following allegations of sexual misconduct that have also cost him several commercial endorsements.
The Public Television Service network has also terminated its contract with Yan, who was the host of a current affairs show, and the Ministry of Culture reportedly dropped him as the host of the annual Golden Bell Awards for television and radio in October.
This follows earlier moves by organizations such as the Taiwan’s Junior Chamber International, which withdrew its recognition of Yan as one of “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” last year.
Photo: Hu Shun-hsiang, Taipei Times
Yan, 37, began his career in 2005 as a member of the Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit (飛輪海) and expanded in acting, attracting a huge following at home, as well as China and Southeast Asian countries.
Public prosecutors have initiated a probe into allegations of exploitation of a minor and secretly filming a sexual partner, Internet celebrity Chiu Yao-le (邱耀樂), who was 16 at the time.
As speculation swirled about the allegations, Chiu, who uses the nickname Raku on YouTube, convened a press conference in Taipei on Wednesday, but Yan upstaged it by barging into the event, and bowing twice in apology to Chiu.
Chiu, who broke down in tears and did not look at Yan, later said he could not accept the apology.
After that, Yan lost several commercial endorsements, including food delivery service UberEats, cosmetics and clothing companies.
The Taitung County Government said it has replaced Yan as the closing ceremony performer of its hot balloon festival at the end of August, saying that Yan’s involvement in the sexual harassment allegations “does not conform to the event’s image of positive energy, sunshine and health fitness.”
The organizers of Kaohsiung’s Beer Rock Festival also dropped Yan from his scheduled performance on July 8.
The #MeToo allegations have also spread to academic circles, with two teachers at National Taiwan College of Performing Arts being suspended from classroom and administrative work as of yesterday.
The Taipei-based college convened a committee meeting after students filed complaints of sexual assault by Lee Tung-chun (李菄峻), dubbed the “Prince of Hakka Opera” (客家戲曲王子), and another teacher surnamed Wang (王).
Lee had previously been involved in a controversy, when he was identified as the teacher in a 2017 video physically assaulting students at his opera class.
He was seen in the video hitting a female student in the head, then knocking her to the ground with a flying kick. He apologized in public and received a major demerit as punishment.
Lee has denied the sexual harassment allegations, saying they were trying to tarnish his reputation with false accusations.
Lee was accused of sexual assault, according to a public post at a site frequented by the theatrical school community. Former male students alleged that when they were asked to go to Lee’s house for acting lessons years ago, he had groped them or forced them to engage in sexual acts.
Lee said he has hired a lawyer to file a defamation lawsuit, but vowed to cooperate with the investigation to clear his name.
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