‘If you’ve done wrong, face up to it’: Mark Lee on Nono’s #MeToo scandal
Like many other celebs in Taiwan’s entertainment industry, Taiwanese comedian Nono, 52, has been swept up in the storm of #MeToo exposés.
On June 22, local actor Mark Lee, 54, a close friend of Nono, spoke about the scandal on his regular morning radio show on Love 972, The Breakfast Quartet. Mark confirmed that he reached out to Nono, and shared what he told the comedian.
Nono was accused of sexually assaulting former model Amber Chang in a post made earlier this week. Nono initially released a statement claiming to have no recollection of the incident or Amber herself.
Following Nono’s statement, Taiwanese influencer Anissa, who also goes by Teacher Xiaohong, also came forward, claiming to have been sexually harassed by Nono. She also held a press conference on Wednesday (June 21), where she shared that 20 other victims have come forward anonymously.
After the press conference, Nono made a brief post on Facebook, announcing that he would halt all showbiz-related work, to “sincerely and deeply reflect”.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Mark responded to a listener who sent in a question during the radio show asking if Mark would be able to talk about Nono’s scandal. Mark’s cool response was: “Is there anything we can’t talk about?”
Nono and Mark go way back.
Mark then went on to share that he contacted Nono after seeing the first reports about his sexual assault allegations.
“I told him, [he] really has to handle this properly. If it’s not true, then let time speak [for itself]. If it’s true, then he has to deal with it, ‘cos that’s something that he should face up to,” Mark said.
Nono, his wife Angel Chu, and their nine-year-old daughter.
He then went on to express his hope that Nono’s wife, Taiwanese singer Angel Chu, 37, can be a source of strength for Nono. Mark drew parallels to another famous scandal that rocked the entertainment scene in recent years — the Andy Hui and Jacqueline Wong cheating scandal.
“[Andy’s wife, Hong Kong pop diva] Sammi Cheng supported [Andy through the scandal], and it has passed now. The strength of a woman cannot be overlooked, ‘cos even his own wife was able to forgive him, so why wouldn’t society do this same?” Mark questioned.
The wife, it should be noted, was the key victim in Andy-Jacqueline saga, which did not involve assault charges.
Mark went on to give his thoughts on the wave of #MeToo accusations sweeping through Taiwan’s showbiz scene, sharing that this is not something that could’ve happened overnight.
“But what’s most important is that we should not make use of a situation like this to do something immoral,” he said, adding: “Of course, if you’ve done wrong, you must face up to it, you can’t run away from this.”
What Mark did not reveal, though, was Nono’s response to his words to him.
Photos: Mark Lee/Facebook, Nono/Facebook
