Angela Yuen speaks out on sexual harassment, veteran journalist apologizes

Hong Kong actress Angela Yuen Lai-lam has called out a veteran male journalist for making an inappropriate remark during an interview, while revealing other experiences of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry.

In a lengthy social media post titled “Apologies That Will Never Come” on Monday (Oct 12), Yuen criticized what she described as deep-rooted misogyny and systemic injustice in the industry.

She said the article was written earlier this year, shortly after the incident, and published in her column in a magazine in April. She decided to make it public months later.

Yuen recalled that late last year, she and other female performers attended an interview to promote the film Gamer Girls.

The interview involved seven women and a veteran male journalist who was the editor-in-chief of a cultural magazine. Shortly after sitting down, he remarked: “I feel like I'm sitting at a hostess club.”

He then attempted to play down the comment by joking that he was a male escort.

Yuen said she felt deeply offended and confronted him immediately, telling him the remark was highly inappropriate.

She said the interview continued after she made it clear that he should either remain silent or apologize. He chose to say nothing, and the incident was left unaddressed.

Yuen stressed that the incident was not an isolated case.

She recalled a male director commenting on her appearance and sexual desirability, telling her: “You're not the type people would want to sleep with.”

On another occasion, a male crew member made an obscene sexual remark to her in Japanese after drinking.

She also alleged that a veteran actor repeatedly joked on set that she wanted to kiss him before suddenly kissing her on the cheek during filming, despite the act not being discussed beforehand or included in the script.

The actor subsequently behaved as though nothing had happened, she said.

Yuen said writing the article might offer temporary relief but would not necessarily change the world.

“What we need may not only be an apology that will never come, but a complete overhaul of this environment,” she wrote.

Actress Chung Suet-ying also criticized an article about her film We Are Born Good, written by a cultural writer and editor.

The article described Chung's character secretly starting a romance with a man named Alan behind her father's back, adding that the role featured an unusually lustful performance in her acting career.

Chung said she found the passage offensive, questioning its relevance to the film and criticizing its wording and what she described as inaccuracies.

She thanked the writer for watching the film but questioned why an article intended to praise a work had to resort to such language.

In a subsequent Instagram Story, Yuen said she and Chung would not publicly identify the cultural journalist they were criticizing.

She said their posts were not intended to expose individuals to public judgment or damage their careers, but to highlight how such experiences could occur across industries.

Yuen also urged the media not to ask them to identify those involved, saying they would not answer such questions.

The veteran journalist, known as Red Eye, subsequently apologized on social media.

He acknowledged making two inappropriate jokes before an interview with the two directors and five actresses of Gamer Girls late last year, adding that Yuen had expressed her displeasure at the time.

He admitted that he had spoken out of turn and that other interviewees had to help ease the tension so the interview could continue.

Red Eye said he regretted not formally apologizing to the interviewees at the time. He also acknowledged that he had not realized how distressed Yuen and the other women had been.

He said he did not intend to dispute the criticism and wished to offer the actresses a sincere apology.

He added that his careless remarks might have offended other interviewees and creators over the years. Referring to his recent comments about We Are Born Good, he apologized again.

Meanwhile, cultural magazine as artistic as you issued a statement on social media, saying it had terminated its contract with Red Eye in 2025.

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