Miss HK 2025, A Columbia University PhD Student, Reacts To Leaked Video Of Poolside Kiss

Just two days after being crowned Miss Hong Kong 2025, Stacey Chan, 26, has been thrust into the spotlight again, this time over a leaked video showing her kissing her boyfriend in a swimming pool.

The beauty queen, who is currently pursuing a PhD at Columbia University in New York, had acknowledged during the competition that she was dating someone outside showbusiness.

She met her boyfriend Martin, a student at University of Southern California, while studying in the US. The pair have been together for nearly two years.

At an event earlier this week, Stacey addressed questions about the leaked video and other bikini photos.

She said sharing such moments was “open and aboveboard”, adding that they symbolised love rather than anything negative.

“If everyone wants to see it, I can just show you directly — it doesn’t matter,” she said.

When asked why she deleted the bold snaps from her social media, she admitted it was her personal choice.

As there's a swimsuit segment during the pageant finals, she didn't want her bikini pics to be public so quickly.

"I want to keep it secret. I didn’t think there was any problem posting them. It’s just that the culture in Hong Kong is different," she explained

She stressed that the move was not due to company pressure or an attempt to deliberately cover up her past.

Beyond her pageant win, Stacey’s background has also drawn attention.

She comes from a prominent family and is the great-granddaughter of philanthropist Chan Sui Ki.

She holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree from Columbia University, on top of her ongoing doctoral studies.

She also excelled in sports. A former rhythmic gymnast, Stacey represented Hong Kong in the sport at 13 and went on to win multiple championships, including the all-around title at the Hong Kong Rhythmic Gymnastics Open in 2012.