Jimmy Lin Defends 17-Yr-Old Son After Netizens Criticise His Looks: "He's Very Handsome In Person"

When Taiwanese '90s teen idol Jimmy Lin and his eldest son Kimi participated in Chinese reality series Where Are We Going, Dad? in 2013, the four-year-old, with his mushroom ‘do, was one of the cutest celebrity kids on TV.

Now turning 17, Kimi is reportedly over 1.8m tall, about half a head taller than his supposedly 1.72cm-dad, though his appearance has remained largely a mystery.

Over the past 12 years, Jimmy, 51, and his model wife Kelly Chen, 42, have carefully protected Kimi's privacy, sharing only photos of his back, side profile or pictures with his face covered on social media. The couple also have 10-year-old twin boys, Jenson and Kyson.

That, however, has fuelled years of online speculation. While some assumed Kimi simply preferred staying out of the spotlight, others questioned whether the family was hiding his face because he wasn't good-looking. Ouch.

Earlier this year, Kimi's appearance drew renewed attention after his school published photos of him competing in a badminton tournament on their website. 

He also became the subject of online discussion after several candid photos taken by passers-by circulated on social media, with some netizens criticising his appearance.

Jimmy has now addressed those comments for the first time.

Speaking at a recent event, the Taiwanese star defended Kimi, saying "He's very handsome in person!"

He explained that the unflattering photos making the rounds online were simply the result of awkward camera angles and lens distortion.

While Kimi, who enjoys playing the guitar and badminton, is said to resemble Kelly more, his smiling eyes have been compared to Jimmy's when he was younger.

Despite growing interest in Kimi, Jimmy made it clear he has no plans to thrust his son into the spotlight.

"When he's willing to make his showbiz debut, then we'll let everyone see him," he said.

Jimmy, who became one of Asia's biggest heartthrobs at 17, knows firsthand what it's like to grow up in the public eye.

After Where Are We Going, Dad?, he decided Kimi should return to a normal life, away from cameras and public scrutiny.

Last year, Kelly also revealed that Kimi is naturally introverted and doesn't enjoy being the centre of attention, which is why the family has chosen to keep him out of the spotlight.

Many netizens have since praised the couple for respecting their son's privacy instead of using him to generate publicity.

Others also agreed that it was unfair to judge Kimi’s appearance based on a handful of poorly-timed candid shots, with some saying there was no need to make malicious comments about a teen's looks.