TAIPEI, July 19 — Taiwanese singer-actor Ken Chu has spoken out after facing backlash for promoting products linked to Wang Xiaofei, the ex-husband of the late actress Barbie Hsu.
The 46-year-old, who rose to fame as a member of the iconic boy band F4, addressed the criticism during a Douyin livestream on Wednesday.
He also reflected on his recent reunion with his bandmates — Jerry Yan, Vic Chou and Vanness Wu — during Mayday’s concert on July 12, as well as his deep affection for Hsu, their Meteor Garden co-star who died earlier this year.
Hsu, who played female lead Shan Cai in the 2001 drama that catapulted F4 to stardom, died on February 2 at age 48.
According to AsiaOne, Chu became visibly emotional while discussing her, pausing to collect himself before saying: “She was in the lives of the four of us, right? Everyone talks about the wheel of fate. I believe that among the four of us, we each had our own methods of loving her when we were younger.”
Chu revealed he had hesitated to take part in the reunion due to his declining health, admitting, “I age 1.5 times faster than a normal person.”
He added that if he didn’t join the band within the year or next, he might not be able to keep up physically.
Still, it was his enduring gratitude for F4 and his affection for Hsu that ultimately convinced him: “It’s because of the love and passion I received over the years, and because of Barbie.”
The livestream also saw Chu address criticism over his decision to sell Ma Liu Ji instant hot and sour noodle soup — a food brand owned by Wang Xiaofei and his mother Zhang Lan — during his online sales shows.
Online users had questioned his support for the brand, given the legal disputes between Wang and Hsu before her death.
But Chu was unbothered.
“Why can’t I sell it?” he said bluntly.
“To be honest, I really hope Wang Xiaofei earns a lot of money, if not, who would take care of his two children?”
Hsu and Wang, who divorced in 2021, shared two children, Hsi-yueh, 11, and Hsi-lin, nine.
In the years leading up to the actress’ passing, the former couple were embroiled in several lawsuits, including allegations of defamation and breaches of privacy.
Chu had briefly addressed his position in 2023, saying during another livestream: “I think it’s quite awkward to say this… but my liking for this brand has no relation to any trending news. I just feel that this brand is honest in their products, taste well and I wanted to recommend it to everyone.”
