Cheryl Hsieh no longer in contact with Ah Xiang after cheating scandal

Cheryl Hsieh held a press conference in Taipei yesterday (Aug 21) to apologise for her cheating scandal with fellow Taiwanese host Aaron Chen (also known as Ah Xiang), who has been married to model Grace Gong for eight years. The pair was caught kissing in broad daylight in June, igniting a barrage of criticism from the public.

The 37-year-old was visibly emotional throughout the event, but tried her best to maintain her composure as she answered reporters’ questions. After thanking the media for braving the downpour to come and see her, she said, “I want to sincerely apologise to Grace, Ah Xiang, their children, as well as Ah Xiang’s parents. I am really very sorry.”

“I acknowledge that I have made a huge mistake and set a very bad example as a public figure, and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for wasting everybody’s time and resources. I am very sorry,” she continued.

Cheryl also explained that the reason why she was silent these past two months was because she was busy self-reflecting and helping others in need, which helped her realise that there are people with difficulties that are much worse than her own, prompting her to make the decision to step forward and face the music.

That said, she clarified that she never tried to run away from her problems, and that she had apologised to Grace in private. She also revealed that as soon as news of their affair broke, she and Ah Xiang stopped contacting each other.

Because of the scandal, Cheryl has suspended all her work activities. When asked if this has caused her to suffer financially, she said that her family is helping her out for the time being. “I don’t dare to say whether I will ever get to return to work, but if I do, I will treasure every moment of it,” she said. “And if I don’t, I will still take this as a lesson and continue moving forward in other directions, like in volunteer work.”

Photos: TPG