'I didn't think you were so despicable': Huang Yiliang rebuts former scriptwriter's claims about his character

Controversial former actor Huang Yiliang is back and he's got more than a few choice words for a columnist who he feels has slighted him.

In a Facebook livestream last Sunday (Oct 9), the 61-year-old responded to certain negative comments about his character written by former scriptwriter Su Chunxing in a column for Uweekly Singapore.

The pieces on Yiliang were published while the latter was in prison serving his sentence for assaulting a foreign worker with a metal scraper.

However, Yiliang's beef with Su started some 30 years ago. 

According to Yiliang, Su interviewed him when he was just starting out in his acting career. 

At that time, Yiliang told Su he was previously a member of the military police (MP) and once, he saw a VIP too obese to exit his vehicle, which he found hilarious.

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Although he held back his laughter and didn't get punished, he allegedly explained to Su what his punishment would have been had he burst out in glee.

But Su allegedly wrote then that Yiliang was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment in the detention barracks.

Said Yiliang in his recent video: "I was just telling you that if I had dared to laugh at a VIP, I would have been sentenced to seven days in the detention barracks as an MP.

"I wouldn't have been able to be an MP as well; if you've been sentenced to the barracks you can't be an MP. I didn't think you were so despicable, to use something like this against me."

Yiliang added he had only just started his career as an actor back when the article was published and the negative publicity was "unfair" to him.

"I had only just begun my career as an actor and you're telling the world that I was confined in the barracks, when that was absolutely not the case," Yiliang angrily said. "You've written so much, but half of everything you've written is completely wrong."

'I'm not someone who would mock Lin Meijiao'

Su also wrote that Yiliang had mocked his ex-wife, actress Lin Meijiao, during an acceptance speech he made at the Star Awards 2003. Addressing this, Yiliang clarified that he didn't mean any harm when his speech touched on Meijiao's lack of awards.

"I'm telling everyone right now, I'm not someone who would mock Lin Meijiao, I'm not such a man. I was never, am never and never will be," he calmly said. 

Yiliang also admitted that his speech wasn't said properly — he intended to help Meijiao, 58, not mock her.

Targeting Su again, he then stated: "I am a righteous and virtuous person — Su Chunxing, I'm a hundred times more virtuous than you'll ever be."

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'I was acting for 7 days and 7 nights'

Another bone he had to pick with Su was regarding the latter's claims that Yiliang didn't make the cut in a scriptwriting examination.

According to Yiliang, it wasn't that he had flunked out of the classes — he never attended them to begin with.

"Just when did you ever see me take part in a scriptwriting examination? Don't make something out of nothing — I signed up but I never attended any classes.

"The reason is simple, I was very popular during then and the crew wanted me. I was acting for seven days and seven nights… in Mediacorp, only Huang Wenyong and I had ever filmed for seven days and nights without sleep — twice."

To Yiliang, he simply had no time to attend classes or examinations for scriptwriting due to his busy schedule.

'Do your research before reporting'

Yiliang also gave multiple examples of where Su had allegedly failed to do proper research and fact-checking before publishing his works.

Mentioning his relationship with Meijiao,Yiliang said Su wrote that their divorce was due to different philosophies towards educating their daughter, local actress Chantalle Ng.

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"What rubbish are you spouting? When Meijiao and I divorced, our daughter was just one or two years old! How could we have taught her anything? Do your research before reporting," Yiliang said.

He also pointed out a few pieces written by Su that implied Yiliang treated his occupation as an actor with disrespect, losing focus on it to pursue insurance sales.

In one piece, Su claimed Yiliang was driving a director to a location when he asked the director to buy an insurance policy. Once the document was signed, Yiliang purportedly drove off without the director, leaving the latter stranded.

"Tales like this tell the world I am a selfish person," he said, adding that it made him seem unfocused and egoistical once he had earned money.

To Yiliang, who claimed he originally wanted to become a national acting treasure, this was antithetical.

Pointing at the Uweekly articles pinned to the wall behind him, he also said: "The things that people already know about, you write about them clearly. 

"But for the other half of things that people don't know about, you just write it however you want!"

"You are a crownless king," Yiliang also said in the livestream. "Everyone is afraid [of your king-like abilities]; you write with your pen but your pen is more venomous than a poisonous snake."

Su Chunxing: 'If he sues me for defamation, I'll sue him back'

In an interview with 8World, Su responded to Yiliang's angry livestream and stood by his published works.

"If the interview article at the time was incorrect, the interviewee should also hold responsibility for the unclear information provided," Su said, referring specifically to the MP incident.

He also said: "Everything I write is the truth, except that interview which might have been a misunderstanding."

Responding to queries by reporters about possible legal actions taken by Yiliang, Su said: "Does he dare? I have all the evidence I need. If he sues me for defamation, I'll sue him back."

ALSO READ: Just a slap: Huang Yiliang says Lin Meijiao asked him to be 'bad cop', in response to daughter Chantalle Ng's allegation

khooyihang@asiaone.com

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