Tina Chou's agent responds following Chen Jianzhou’s sexual harassment accusation
On June 27th, a heated discussion erupted on Chinese social media platform Weibo, revolving around the sexual assault case involving Taiwanese actress Tina Chou, known colloquially as 大牙, and Taiwanese TV host Chen Jianzhou.
26 June 2023
Chou posted a detailed account of the alleged assault, igniting widespread debate on social media. Responding through her agent, Chou stated, "Thank you for your concern, everything I wanted to say is in the text. Being brave once is hoping that sunlight can shine into the dark corners of the heart, and I hope to share my courage with other people who may have been hurt, and continue to face each day with kindness and positive energy."
The allegations and subsequent reaction have once again highlighted the deep-seated gender inequality issues and the entertainment industry's problematic dynamics in China and Taiwan.
Many netizens expressed their support for Chou, exemplified by one user's comment: "站大牙……" - a colloquial way of standing by Chou. However, some expressed skepticism about the case's resolution, pointing out the challenge in securing substantial evidence for sexual assault cases, especially those that happened years ago. One user stated: "Chen knew that Chou had no substantive evidence, so he dared to say she was groundless. It's difficult to obtain evidence for sudden sexual harassment, let alone so many years ago."
The case has also stirred controversy in regards to the double standard for men and women in the entertainment industry in both mainland China and Hong Kong and Taiwan. As one user pointed out: "Whether in Nèiyù or the Hong Kong and Taiwan region, male celebrities collapse due to style problems, and female celebrities mostly collapse due to tax problems. It seems that the career-mindedness of female celebrities is much heavier than that of male celebrities."
Despite the serious nature of the allegations, there is skepticism about any lasting damage to Chen Jianzhou's career. One user noted: "After all, the Taiwanese entertainment circle will not block him, and Chen Jianzhou will not lose anything if he comes out to apologize."
The issue has been further complicated by its entanglement with political remarks related to Taiwan. Some users characterized Taiwan as a province of China, a politically charged statement given the complex historical relationship and current tensions between the two regions. "Anyway, the Taiwanese province's entertainment circle will not ban him. Chen Jianzhou won't lose anything by apologizing," one Weibo user remarked, using the politically loaded term "Taiwanese province."
This heated debate underscores the increasingly crucial role of social media in exposing and discussing issues surrounding gender inequality and sexual harassment, despite the complexities of tackling such sensitive topics in the politically charged context of China-Taiwan relations.