6 LGBT hookups, break-ups and scandals that shocked Taiwan’s movie and music scenes – from Aaron Yan to Enno Cheng
Taiwan led the regional conversation by introducing same-sex marriage in 2019, but the self-governed island’s LGBTQ+ celebrities haven’t all faced an easy ride
There are only a handful of Taiwanese celebrities who publicly identify as LGBTQ+, and despite the island’s region-leading legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2019, some experienced bumps on their way out of the closet. STYLE looks at six LGBTQ+ hookups, break-ups and scandals that rocked Taiwan’s entertainment industry.
Enno Cheng
Musician and actress Enno Cheng came out as lesbian in a 2016 Facebook post in which she also announced that she had divorced her husband, former bandmate Sam Yang, whom she married in 2013. “Sam has a great heart and has shown me unconditional understanding and tolerance,” she wrote. “The fact is I cannot love his body. This is not his fault, but is because I like women’s bodies.” Cheng explained that her sexual orientation had always been “blurry”.
Aaron Yan
In 2018, singer and actor Aaron Yan was dramatically outed by a jealous boyfriend who released to the media photos and text messages alleging that the star was dating two other men. Before this, Yan had never publicly revealed his sexuality.
Yan’s manager at first claimed the photos were fake, but the heartthrob immediately released a statement of apology, saying, “I am deeply sorry for failing to properly manage my private life, causing it to be revealed in such a way. I’ve always treated everyone with sincerity, but I’m also an ordinary person with my own shortcomings, failings, and feelings.” Yan did not address the two-timing allegations but vowed to grow as a person from the incident.
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