A previously reported series of accusations concerning actor-director-producer Eric Tsang Chi-wai and the alleged rape of Hong Kong actress Yammie Lam have resurfaced this week in China. They sparked hints at other instances of inappropriate sexual behavior in the Asian entertainment industry.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Tsang claimed that a video interview with Lam in which the actress accused him of raping in the 1990s her was untrue. Tsang said that the video was inaccurately edited, and his name imposed in the editing process.
The video was first published by Hong Kong’s Next Magazine in 2013. In it Lam claimed that over two decades ago she was raped by two powerful Hong Kong actors. One was already dead at the time of publication, while the name of the other was muted.
Lam claimed that the incident took place in Singapore when she was invited to go on a movie set visit in the city-state. But instead of reporting the case to the police, she went to see the doctor for a morning-after pill.
The actress, who was formerly with TVB and appeared in several Stephen Chow films, retired from acting, apparently due to mental illness.
Tsang could not be contacted by Variety.
When the story emerged in 2013, film producer and political commentator Stephen Shiu used his YouTube channel to urge Tsang to accompany Lam and report the case to the police in Singapore. Actress Carina Lau also said that Tsang would be the right person to help Lam. But neither of them elaborated why.
The video went viral this week in China on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. It attracted comments from Grace Han, former head of the Ford Modelling agency in Asia. Using her verified Weibo account, Han said that it was not the first time Tsang has made unwanted sexual advances to women in showbiz, including the fashion models she trained. She also alleged that Tsang spiked a model’s drink in a Hong Kong karaoke bar.
The allegations against Tsang also stoked rumors about an alleged inappropriate relationship with Chinese actress Zhou Dongyu, who won the Golden Horse best actress award in 2016 for her role in “Soul Mate”, directed by Tsang’s son Derek. Zhou denied the allegations in a statement released on Thursday.
