Former Mediacorp star Dai Xiangyu said that he believes Chinese actor Zhang Haowei did not mean to hurt him. Photos: Dai Xiangyu/Weibo
Former Mediacorp star Dai Xiangyu, once known as Dai Yangtian, says all his upcoming jobs have been halted after an unfounded accusation about him soliciting prostitutes went viral in China.
Rumours of the China-based 39-year-old actor visiting sex workers was a trending hot topic on Weibo on Aug 6, after a paparazzi account on the platform leaked a voice clip of a recorded conversation between Chinese actor Zhang Haowei and an unknown woman discussing casting news for a drama. Prostitution is illegal in China.
In the conversation, 33-year-old Zhang, who appears in the period series Joy Of Life (2019) and its sequel Joy Of Life 2 (2024), says that Dai admitted to him that he is about to be investigated for soliciting prostitutes, after another Chinese actor, Li Yifeng, was detained for visiting prostitutes.
Li, 37, was investigated by the Beijing police for soliciting prostitutes in September 2022. He later confessed to the crimes and has not been active in the Chinese entertainment scene since.
On Aug 7, Dai wrote on his Weibo: “I’m not angry about this incident, I just feel so frustrated. I don’t know how to explain something I’ve never done. I’m a middle-aged male artiste who’s not that famous. Who would want to cast someone who might be involved in a scandal like this and who isn’t very famous anyway?
“All my upcoming jobs have been halted, so all I can do is to do my best to prove myself, but people are going to think there’s something wrong with you even if a certificate of innocence can be issued.”
The news broke just as Dai had been gaining new fans for his portrayal of a serial womaniser and murder victim in period drama Strange Tales Of Tang Dynasty II: To The West (2024).
His agency and manager denied the allegations immediately.
Zhang apologised to Dai on Aug 6. In a Weibo post, he said he does not know Dai personally and that the rumours about Dai are not true.
He said the conversation was a private one he had with a friend several years ago while he was warming up for a basketball match, and that it was edited.
On Aug 7, Zhang posted another apology to Dai on Weibo.
He wrote: “I have been ridiculously wrong in my actions and there is no excuse for my behaviour. As an adult, I should pay attention to my words and behaviour, regardless of whether it is a public proclamation or a private conversation. I should not have spread unverified rumours that hurt the reputation of others.”
He added: “The rumours about Dai Xiangyu are just rumours that I heard and spread. They are unverified claims. This incident has taught me an invaluable lesson and I will use the rest of my life to reflect on what I have done.”
Former Mediacorp actor Dai Xiangyu (left) with his Chinese actress wife Chen Zihan, who is sticking up for him after Dai was accused of soliciting prostitutes.Dai, who is best known in Singapore for starring in Mediacorp drama The Little Nyonya (2008), said in his post that he believes Zhang did not mean to hurt him.
Dai added: “I think he was loose with his words in a private setting and that was exploited by someone with ulterior motives to irresponsibly slander me.
“The cost of slandering me is so low, yet it destroyed the image I had built up over 17 years. It hurt me and my family.”
He thanked his wife, Chinese actress Chen Zihan, 46, for trusting him.
She took to Weibo to stick up for Dai, posting a screenshot of a conversation she had with a friend discussing the incident.
In the text messages, Chen appears to be unfazed by the rumours and said she laughed when she heard the news. She joked: “My husband is finally famous.”
In a post accompanying the screenshot, she wrote: “My husband’s greatest wish is to work hard, but he has not even had a chance to reap the fruits of his hard work before he received such a blow. I’m at his side, and I’m telling him with a smile, ‘It’s okay, just keep persevering in your career. Don’t give up. It’s okay.’
“I don’t want to see him so upset and aggrieved. But, hubby, it’s not a big deal. Nothing is as important as the two of us living our lives well together.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
