TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Famous Taiwan actor-host Blackie Chen has been accused of sexual harassment by two Taiwanese actresses, Tina Chou and Yuan Kuo. A high-profile Taiwanese lawyer Lu Chiu-yuan voiced support for the two on Thursday (June 29), saying plenty of other lawyers would also stand by them and other victims.
In a Facebook post published on June 27, Chou accused Chen of sexually harassing her during a business trip to Hong Kong in July 2012. Chen and his wife, singer Christine Fan, issued a lawyer statement the next day, seeking NT＄ 10 million in compensation for immaterial damage from Tina.
After releasing the joint legal statement, Kuo, the second victim of Chen, wrote a detailed account via Facebook the same day, stating that Chen had attempted to sexually harass her twice in the past and emphasized that "I do not want Chou to be alone." Kuo's post received 298,000 likes and has been shared 18,000 times on social media.
However, Lu told reporters that Chen is unlikely to win a lawsuit. He pointed to the unusual nature of asking for NT＄ 10 million in compensation in a civil procedure, saying: "In past cases, the final amount decided by courts for former President Ma, or other individuals in higher positions in politics or showbiz, was generally around or even less than 1 million."
He further stated that many lawyers, including himself, would offer assistance if needed and voiced support for Chou, Kuo, and other victims to be brave.