Ken Chu (left) was criticised for selling Wang Xiaofei's products during his live-stream sales. Barbie Hsu and Wang Xiaofei divorced in November 2021. Photos: Ken Chu/Douyin, Barbie Hsu/Weibo
Taiwanese singer-actor Ken Chu has defended his decision to sell products made by the company of Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, the former husband of late Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu.
Chu, 46, was a member of Taiwanese boy band F4, which also comprise Jerry Yan, 48; Vic Chou, 43; and Van Ness Wu, 46. The quartet reunited for a surprise performance at Taiwanese pop-rock band Mayday’s concert at the Taipei Dome on July 12.
F4 were brought together as a boy band in 2001 after acting in Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001), which also starred Hsu. The band members went their separate ways in 2009.
Hsu, who died aged 48 in February, divorced Wang, 44, in November 2021 after 11 years of marriage. They have an 11-year-old daughter and a nine-year-old son.
The former couple were then embroiled in a divorce battle and war of words on social media.
Chu, who is now focusing on live-stream sales on Douyin, was criticised by netizens on July 16 after he continued to hawk hot and sour vermicelli from Chinese food brand Maliuji. This is a company under Wang and his mother Zhang Lan.
“Why can’t I sell that?” Chu replied. “To be honest, I really hope Wang Xiaofei makes a lot of money. Otherwise, who will take care of his two children?”
The artiste also mentioned Hsu, better known as Big S, in his live stream.
“She was the girl who was involved in the lives of the four of us,” he said, referring to the F4 members. “I think all four of us loved her in our own way when we were younger.”
Chu also disclosed that he was initially not keen on the F4 reunion on July 12, which was facilitated by Mayday’s agency B’in Music.
“I asked their manager why they were so persistent on the reunion,” Chu said. “She relayed (Mayday frontman) Ashin’s words to me: ‘Ashin feels that all the good things from the days when we were younger are slowly disappearing, and he wants to gather them back together, including F4.’”
Chu admitted that it was not easy for him to return to the stage.
“I’m not as physically fit as I used to be,” he said. “If you watch the video, you can see that I look a little older than the three of them.”
Chu said that although he is 46, his physical condition is like that of a 60-year-old’s. He suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that can lead to lasting muscle pain and fatigue.
“Compared with the three of them, I’ll be more out of shape if we don’t reunite this year or next year,” he said. “So I’m working hard on it.” – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
