SINGAPORE - Taiwanese actor Mike He, who is married, was caught intimately hugging a long-haired woman in the early hours of Dec 14, 2019.
Reports say the 36-year-old, who was dressed in a dark jacket and cap, had walked through an alley in Taipei with the woman and his friend, fellow Taiwanese actor Michael Chang, 39.
After exiting the alley, the trio got into a BMW - Chang was behind the wheel, while He and the woman were in the back.
When they arrived at their destination, near a building, video footage online shows He and the woman getting out of the car, and hugging along the side of the road.
After the initial hug, He withdrew but the woman held onto his right hand. They hugged again before parting ways.
On Wednesday (Jan 1, 2020), He's agency issued a statement saying the actor and the woman are good friends. It explained that there was a friend's gathering that day and the party-goers were very happy, drank more than usual, and therefore their gestures were "bigger".
"But there were no other gestures that exceeded the realm of friendship," the statement added.
In 2017, He posted on Facebook that he had registered his marriage with someone outside the entertainment scene, and that he has a daughter who was born in February 2017. The actor is known for starring in the Taiwanese idol drama series Spring Love (2013) and the Taiwanese movie Bad Girls (2012).
Adultery is illegal in Taiwan. A married person found guilty of committing adultery could be jailed for up to one year.
On Dec 21, 2019, Taiwanese indie singer-songwriter Cheer Chen was also caught embracing and kissing a married man on the streets of Taipei at night.
The 44-year-old's music label later released a statement saying she had just got to know the man and was unaware of his marital status.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.