It appears the effects of the scandal of the century will be felt well into the future, perhaps by our children, perhaps by our children’s children, but certainly by anyone who planned on going to see singer Andy Hui belt out some of his hits later this year, because it looks like that’s off the table.
According to his manager, Paco Wong, Hui will be cancelling his upcoming performances at the Hong Kong Coliseum in September, along with some others in China, in light of the gigantic media firestorm that has engulfed him, his wife and Cantopop superstar Sammi Cheng, his backseat make-out partner Jacqueline Wong, and Wong’s boyfriend Kenneth Ma since video of the make-out sesh leaked on Tuesday.
News of the star-studded love rectangle has thrown Hong Kong into a rabid frenzy, complete with a social media pile-on that included everyone from Mr. Peanut to the Buildings Department.
Apple Daily reports that fallout from the scandal had been so great that Hui and his team were having trouble securing sponsors for the event, and fears that ticket sales would be low led to the decision to cancel the Coliseum performances.
The news comes less than 24 hours after Cantopop queen Cheng posted on Instagram to say she had effectively forgiven Hui, a development Paco Wong applauded.
“I’m so happy that Sammi could forgive Andy and give him another chance,” he told Apple Daily. “Thank you Sammi!”
Wong also said he hoped that Sammi’s post would put an end to the media circus surrounding the scandal, and that reporters would give the couple enough space for things to return to normal.
“Andy’s been through a lot, and we hope that in time he can prove to people that he can change and start again.”
Wong didn’t say whether Hui’s concerts would be rescheduled, and Hui himself said in a tearful press conference on Tuesday evening that he would be taking an indefinite break from work to “recover his true self.”
Reverberations from the scandal also appear to be having an effect on the professional life of Hui’s squeeze, TV actress Jacqueline Wong. According to HK01, Wong has been “put in the fridge” by her employer TVB, with appearances and even the use of her voice apparently pulled.
According to HK01, the first episode of a TV show called The Offliners — in which Wong has a supporting role — was pulled from its scheduled slot on May 13. It’s unclear what will happen to the other shows Wong was either currently working on, or scheduled to star in.
Wong also sings the theme song to one of the network’s biggest comedies, Come Home Love: Lo and Behold, which netizens reported had been stripped of her vocals. Social media users said that when they tuned into watch the show (which airs every night at 8pm), the opening theme was just an instrumental track, Apple Daily reports.
The scandal has also had collateral damage, including both the mother of Kenneth Ma, who was doorstepped by reporters as she shopped, and Wong’s sister, TV presenter Scarlett Wong, whose social media accounts have been under siege by commenters since the elder Wong turned off the comments on her own accounts.
(Come on, people! Not even the mob hit the families!)
The scandal, ironically, has been nicknamed by the Chinese-language media the “on sum tau sik” — literally “peace of mind steal a bite to eat” — scandal.
The phrase “on sum,” or “peace of mind,” combines two characters from Hui and Wong’s Chinese names (Hui Chi-on and Wong Sum-wing), while “stealing a bite to eat” is Cantonese slang for cheating.
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