TAIPEI - Taiwanese paparazzo Ryan Ko has apologised to Singapore singer JJ Lin over the insinuations he made on Tuesday night (May 31).
Ko was in the news recently after he claimed that Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei, the ex-husband of actress Barbie Hsu, had an affair before his divorce.
Ko held a live stream on Tuesday night and showed photos of Wang's alleged infidelity.
He then made veiled references to several celebrities, including Lin and businessman Mike Hsu, the husband of television host Dee Hsu, without providing evidence.
Ko also claimed to have almost taken photos of Chinese singer-actor Lu Han and actress Dilraba Dilmurat dating in Japan.
In addition, he posted on Tuesday night a screen grab of the top 10 Weibo searches, with "JJ Lin suite" and "Wang Xiaofei photos" as the top two phrases.
Lin's agency JFJ Productions swiftly reacted, reiterating that anyone who claims to have evidence of Lin's alleged wrongdoing should submit them to the relevant authorities, and that Lin and the agency would cooperate with any investigations.
"Otherwise, please do not waste public resources and disrupt the Internet," JFJ said. "Please stop all illegal activities such as creating and spreading rumours, and maintain a civilised online environment."
Ko made a U-turn on his allegations on Wednesday morning.
He wrote on Facebook that he had mentioned Lin only after Lin's name was brought up by netizens.
He added: "I will not be fooled by netizens who want to see a fight between the paparazzi and the top singer."
He then addressed Lin, saying: "I am sorry to bother you."
Ko also clarified that Lu and Dilraba are only good friends and that they were in Japan on different days.
Meanwhile, Wang denied having an affair while he was married in a Weibo post on Monday, before claiming that Hsu took illegal drugs for a long time during their marriage.
He has since deleted the post and issued a public apology to his ex-wife and her mother on the platform on Tuesday.
"I have done the most regrettable thing in my life yesterday due to my impulsiveness and express my deep remorse to Barbie, our kids and her mother," he said.
He said he would try to make up for the damage he had done and vowed not to disrupt Hsu's life and only contact her on matters relating to their children.
Wang and Hsu divorced in November 2021, with Hsu registering her marriage to South Korean musician DJ Koo in February 2022.
ALSO READ: JJ Lin sues netizen for defamation
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.