When they were asked about their relationship, Jackson, who has been married to his childhood sweetheart since 2015, reiterated, “We’re not together. Please don’t misunderstand.” He sped off in his car soon after. Ashley confirmed that she is aware Jackson is a married man, and maintained that they are “just colleagues”. The actress has been romantically linked to actor Brian Tse for years, but denied they are in a relationship when probed about it.

Netizens were shocked by the report as Jackson, who has been called a Louis Koo lookalike, is known as a loving husband to his non-celeb wife, whom he dated for a decade before marrying. He also hinted that his wife was pregnant earlier this month, and reports claim that she is eight months along.

The backlash from the scandal has been immediate, with Ashley turning her Instagram to private, and turning off the comments function for her existing followers. Jackson has done the same for his account, and also deleted almost all his posts.

Although there has been no damning evidence of the two having an affair, netizens are convinced that they were up to no good. “If they were really there for work-related matters, was there a need to run away after getting caught?” one wrote. Another added, “They wouldn’t need to hide in such a secluded location if they had nothing to hide. There was nobody there but them. If it was really work, there would be other staff members or their personal assistants there. They were lucky to not get caught doing something more distasteful than eating cake."

Photos: Apple Daily, PBE Media