The Asian entertainment industry is unique, in that a majority of fans dedicate their lives, money, time and effort to expressing their devotion towards their favourite celebrities. Compared to Western superfans, whose idolisation of their favourite stars has limits, Asian celebrities are treated like idols – and their every action is followed and judged by their obsessed fans. One step out of line, and they face public opprobrium.
However, when it comes to cheating scandals within the Asian entertainment industry, male perpetrators are forgiven once a black and white apology is issued. But the same cannot be said for female celebrities, who’ll experience backlash and face termination by their agencies even before a public apology is made.
The celebrity cultures of Japan, China and South Korea are particularly stormy. The faces of Japanese celebrities would often be plastered on international news stories when there’s gossip or news reports of cheating allegations. Many would argue that it’s acceptable, and it’s even regarded by some Japanese daters as a societal norm, and fans – both domestic and international – would take to social media to voice their disappointment and anger.
In China and South Korea, cheating is also frowned upon. Whenever news of this nature breaks, it would be highly publicized and become a trending topic on Sina Weibo (For China), Kakao Talk (for South Korea). However, male celebrities would face less public scrutiny compared to their female counterparts. It’s an unspoken agreement that the majority of Asia is a patriarchal society.
One of the biggest cheating scandals in Asia in 2021 involved Japanese singer LiSA (born, Risa Oribe) and her husband, who is also a fellow singer and renowned voice actor, Suzuki Tatsuhisa. They were married in January last year.
Left: LiSA , Right: Suzuki Tatsuhisa
What upsets fans the most is that the cheating allegations emerged so soon after the wedding. Fans demanded Suzuki give an explanation, but he remained silent on his social media platforms. However, when an apology was issued, fans were not happy, as the allegations were not addressed. Things took a dark turn 3 weeks later…
(Trigger warning: attempted suicide)
Shortly after their long hiatus was announced, reports began to circulate on social media that Tatsuhisa had attempted suicide, and newspapers began to report the news with more specifics. Tatsuhisa was brought to a hospital in Tokyo’s Minato Ward in early August, not long after the affair was revealed. He was admitted to the hospital for two weeks and was placed on a ventilator at one point, but he pulled through and his condition began to improve.
LiSA raced to the hospital as soon as she learned what had happened to check on his condition. LiSA was already upset due to her husband’s adultery, but having to deal with her husband’s alleged attempted suicide put her in a difficult position.
(Trigger warning: end)
Over the years, there have been numerous cheating allegations reported by gossip tabloids in the Chinese, Korean and Japanese media. But they were not discussed openly, as the reporting ceased when the guilty perpetrators released public apologies either via a press conference or agency statement.
So – should Asian mass media shed more light on the cheating culture in the Asian entertainment industry, or should the topic be swept under the rug?
