Celebrity ‘sorry’ for sex scandal

Popular actor Huang Haibo, known for his clean image as “China’s son-in-law",was detained by police on May 16 after being caught with a prostitute in a Beijing hotel.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

One netizen wrote on Weibo: “As a celebrity, Huang has no wife, no girlfriend, and he doesn’t play around with female stars like other male actors do. What he did is normally what a single man would do, so it is understandable.”

Some internet users even defended Huang by saying if the matter is not looked at from a legal perspective it is really no big deal in private life. Prostitution is illegal in China.

Still, irreparable damage may have been done to the actor’s once-pristine image. The China Daily wrote on May 21: “After Huang Haibo was detained, many netizens said that showbiz now has one less good man. Some felt disappointed or even deceived because of the image the actor had built for himself as ‘China's son-in-law’. The scandal will make it difficult for viewers to accept Huang in humble and lovable roles - as a good husband, for example - and harm his career in the process.”

State media Xinhua went even further. The news agency published an editorial that said “Some netizens defend Huang, even applaud Huang’s wrongdoing, they say prostitution is minor mistake compared to extramarital affair and being involved in erotic hidden rules of show biz.

“However, conniving this kind of ‘minor mistake’ can only lower the threshold of social morality, blur virtue’s bottom line, and it does no good to social justice. What it can do is pouring negative energy into society.”