Tearful Selina Jen asks media to give husband space in first public appearance since divorce

Taiwan singer Selina Jen has made her first public appearance since announcing she was getting a divorce from lawyer Richard Chang.

Speaking to reporters on Mar 10, Jen held back tears as she clarified that the problems in her marriage were caused by their differences, and that none of the media's speculations have been true.

Their separate announcements made on Friday (March 4) took many fans and media by surprise, and tabloids played up rumours of Chang having an affair and alleged that the couple had a sexless marriage.

Despite all the media scrutiny, the 34-year-old said she felt Chang, 43, was undergoing much more pressure than her, and expressed her wish for the media to give him more space.

As she addressed reporters at the scene, Jen said she was meeting with the media as she wanted to show that she had not been losing weight and was not crying all day, as some media outlets have reported.

Since announcing her divorce on Facebook, Jen says she has stayed at home thinking about why her marriage failed, and what she had failed to do to keep it going. She added that Chang had also been doing the same, and that they were still communicating and apologising to each other for their failed marriage.

Jen said she told Chang that "a failed marriage does not mean we failed in life", adding that they had both made the decision to get a divorce after careful consideration and discussion.

A member of pop group S.H.E, Jen had a high profile relationship with Chang, who openly declared her love for her during one of her concerts.

Later in the same year, Jen was involved in a filming accident which left her badly burned and injured. Taiwan media had then portrayed the couple as having a fairytale relationship as Chang was said to have stuck by her and played a big role in her recovery.

ljessica@sph.com.sg