Cecilia Cheung denies box office failure, rejects ‘queen of bad movies’ label

Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi appeared in the High Court on Tuesday (Dec 9) to give evidence in a breach-of-contract lawsuit brought by her former manager, Yu Yuk-hing, and AEG Entertainment Group Limited. She concluded her testimony later the same day.

Dispute Over Unpaid Deposit

The plaintiff cited a 2012 contract for two films that required Yu to pay Cheung or her management company a HK$2.76 million deposit within three days.

Yu presented a cheque claiming that the payment had been made, but Cheung denied ever receiving it. Emails between Cheung’s assistant, Emily, and Yu — containing a film contract and a request to waive commission — were also submitted in court.

Cheung stated that she was not involved in the correspondence and denied requiring advance funds, insisting that “every job I’ve undertaken since my debut has always been properly compensated.”

No Films Produced, No Payment Owed

Cheung maintained that the films were never produced and that no payment was owed. When asked whether she had delayed any projects by May 2013, she replied, “There was no film… the projects did not exist.” She emphasized that films must meet all essential requirements, including a complete script, director, cast, and lighting, adding, “A film is not just a contract; everything must be in place.”

When the plaintiff cited media reports of poor box-office performance, Cheung responded, “What do you mean by box-office failure? My mother thought it was fine. Is the media your relative?”

Cheung also rejected claims that she coordinated projects through her assistant, noting that any questions regarding the emails should be directed to the assistant rather than to herself.

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