Content creator Kiki Darling has apologised to the victim of the sexual assault he was convicted of six years ago, saying he takes “full responsibility” for his actions and has spent the years since trying to rebuild his life.
Kiki, whose real name is Hari Kishen Balakrishnan, addressed his past conviction in a video posted on social media on Sept 10. This was after he had left Singaporean filmmaker Jack Neo’s upcoming movie Ah Boys To Firefighters, when news of the case resurfaced online.
“I want you guys to know that I take full responsibility for the harm that I caused the victim,” said the 26-year-old.
“There’s really nothing I can do to ever undo such pain,” he said, adding, “I promise to be clear, and I promise no more hiding”.
Hari was sentenced in September 2021 to at least six months’ reformative training after pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault by penetration and one count of making an obscene film. A molestation charge was taken into consideration for sentencing.
The offences took place in November 2020 after a drinking session involving Hari, the 23-year-old male victim and several friends.
Hari said that at the Reformative Training Centre, he attended rehabilitation workshops and classes, as well as counselling with a psychologist.
He said he sat the O levels as a private candidate before enrolling at Republic Polytechnic (RP) to study culinary arts.
While at RP, he became involved in volunteering with the underprivileged and migrant worker communities. He was also president of the student council and a youth advisory panellist for a government feedback unit.
Hari said it was through such community work that he felt he could give back to society.
Somewhere along the way, he began creating comedy content as Kiki Darling, and built a following online.
But he acknowledged that while he had been open about his past with some people who had supported and guided him, he had not done the same with his followers. He added that he understood some followers might now feel “sad, betrayed and angry”.
His conviction resurfaced after he was unveiled on Aug 31 as one of the four new leading men in Neo’s Ah Boys To Firefighters.
Hari was selected through an open casting call in June that attracted more than 1,000 hopefuls. He was to play Ramesh Menon, one of four young national servicemen posted to the same fire station.
The film’s production team told The Straits Times on Sept 9 that it verified news of Hari’s conviction only on Sept 8, after information about the case surfaced online.
“We were very surprised to hear about it,” said the spokesperson for the Ah Boys To Firefighters production team.
Following discussions with Hari, he decided to resign from the movie.
His filmed scenes will be removed and the role recast. The production team is arranging reshoots and making the necessary edits, but said the changes should not have much impact on the movie’s planned Chinese New Year 2027 theatrical release.
In his video, Hari stressed that he was not speaking out in an attempt to erase what he had done. He added that he has been trying to build his life and intends to continue with his studies, work and community involvement.
“I really want to believe that I have changed,” he said. “I just want you guys to know that I’m really, really sorry.” - The Straits Times/Asia News Network
