Chinese actor Hu Ge surprised netizens in January 2023 when he suddenly announced on social media the birth of his daughter and his marriage at the same time.
The 41-year-old had said on Weibo then that his wife is not a public figure and that he kept mum about their nuptials and her pregnancy to ensure the smooth delivery of his child. While he did not reveal his wife’s name or picture, Chinese media reported that she is his long-time personal assistant Huang Xining, who is 11 years his junior.
Still, the Nirvana In Fire (2015) star continued to keep a low profile about his wife and child, and has never revealed their photos to the public.
But Hong Kong actor Damian Lau may have inadvertently changed that. The 74-year-old veteran posted photos of himself having a meal with some friends, including Hu, on July 5. It is not clear where the photos were taken.
He wrote in the caption for the post: “Friendship is priceless, wishing everyone health and happiness. Long live friendship!”
In one of the photos, Hu, dressed in black, has his arm around a woman with short hair, also dressed in black. Chinese media sites and netizens quickly identified her as his wife, Huang.
While the couple have been spotted in public together, this is the first time a photo of them has been released publicly since their marriage. It went viral and caused the hashtag: “Hu Ge and his wife in one frame” to trend on Weibo on July 5. The hashtag now has more than 160 million views.
The post has since been seemingly removed from Lau’s Weibo, with no explanation.
Hu recently starred in Blossoms Shanghai (2023 to 2024), a period drama series directed by famed Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai. It won him the Best Actor prize at the Shanghai TV Festival’s Magnolia Awards, a prestigious award for Chinese television, which was presented in June. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
