It was the scandal that rocked the world and ended the careers of those involved.
Gillian, half of Hong Kong pop duo Twins, had a girl-next-door image that was tarnished when explicit photos of her and Hong Kong actor Edison Chen were leaked onto the Internet in January.

Gillian, 27, is one of the seven female celebrities (including Cecilia Cheung and Bobo Chan) who have been identified in the photos. She was first linked to Edison in 2001 when she starred in his music video, aptly titled Scandal.

More than 1,000 obscene photos of Edison and the women were stolen from his laptop when he sent it for repair.

In February, Gillian made an official statement without clearly admitting she was in the photos.

She said: “I admit that I was naive and very silly, but I’ve grown up now. As for the influence this incident has had on society, I apologise. In the coming days I will continue to focus on my work and face up to my life.”

But her career and life were never the same. More than 2,000 viewers complained about her appearance on Hong Kong TV channel TVB’s Jade Solid Gold charity show just days after the photos surfaced. She also has to scrap a promotion event
when protesters threatened to disrupt it.

Chinese director Zhang Yimou cancelled Gillian’s scheduled performance at the Olympics opening ceremony in August.
 
In late June, Twins said they would be taking a break.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Dec 31, 2008.