Tabloids Slammed For Taking Bosco Wong’s Nude Photos; Anthony Wong Reacts: “They Are Despicable!”

When the paparazzi took photos of a fully nude Bosco Wong(黃宗澤) at home last June, fans and artists were outraged. Yesterday, after thorough review of the cases, the Privacy Commission established that the tabloid magazines violated privacy rights in the taking of such unauthorized photos. The Privacy Commission’s findings resulted in strong reactions from celebrities who were victims of the paparazzi’s aggressive tactics. Chow Yun Fat (周潤發), Anthony Wong (黃秋生), and Aaron Kwok (郭富城) blasted the tabloids’ unethical violation of artist rights!

In June 2011, photos of a fully nude Bosco Wong showering with Myolie Wu were taken through his home window with a telephoto lens camera. The paparazzi spied on him for several days waiting for the perfect photo opportunity. Just days earlier, the paparazzi had also taken photos of Vincent Wong in his underwear briefs  kissing Yoyo Chen at home. With the artists’ privacy consistently violated in their own homes, TVB filed complaints last June with the Privacy Commission against Face Magazine and Sudden Weekly Magazine for the unauthorized taking of the nude photographs.

Fortunately, Bosco, Vincent, and Yoyo’s complaints did not fall on deaf ears.  After a 6-month investigation, the Privacy Commission established that the tabloid magazines had violated privacy rights. The Commission’s decision was a positive step towards establishing potential future legislation to protect artists’ privacy.

Past Victims of Aggressive Paparazzi

Myolie Wu (杏兒去) was present when Bosco Wong was photographed nude at his home last June.  She pointed out that artists and the media shared a mutually beneficial relationship, where they needed each other. It was important to have mutual respect for each other. “Taking photographs through a home window requires highly specialized equipment. It also affects our neighbors. As an artist, I am happy with the Privacy Commission’s decision.”

Chow Yun Fat sighed that artists were also people whose privacy rights need to be protected. Chow Yun Fat indicated that in the past, the paparazzi had taken photos of him at home, through a camera situated in a building across his house. He did not believe that artists’ privacy should be forsaken in the name of public interest. Chow Yun Fat noted that the tabloids intrusive actions had crossed ethical lines. “Everyone should have a level of respect. Everyone has a bottom line!”

Known for his unminced words, Anthony Wong denounced the paparazzi’s invasive measures. He advocated for punitive measures to be implemented for future violation of privacy. Anthony revealed that his son was the object of unauthorized photos taken on the street. The Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild had filed similar complaints to the deaf ears of the Privacy Commission earlier.

Anthony said, “Taking photos through someone’s home window is despicable! It is similar to taking photos of someone peeing in the bathroom! Or underskirt photos! There should be privacy on the street and at home…. The unethical media needs to have more self-restraint. I hope that there will be punitive actions towards the violation of privacy! Otherwise there is no deterrent, only making things more ridiculous!” Anthony noted that only with the establishment of guidelines, the artists will have measures to block the intrusive paparazzi.

While Aaron Kwok understood that reporters had the right to report news, they should follow a code of conduct and restrain from taking photos through house windows. A victim of the paparazzi’s intrusive tactics, Aaron said, “I am afraid when I use the swimming pool at my house. Going home after a hard day of work, I wish to have my own personal space.” Aaron added that he hoped future reporting methods would change. Furthermore, the paparazzi had taken photos of Aaron driving his car in the past, claiming that he was involved in illegal car racing. Aaron disputed the tabloid claims, which defamed his personal reputation.

Not only did the paparazzi take unauthorized photos, they potentially destroyed lives with their outrageous claims. In the past, Next Magazine claimed that Ray Lui (呂良偉) had two illegitimate daughters. Ray and his wife forced the publication to print a full-page apology for the defamatory headline.

TVB artists, Michael Tse (謝天華) and Samantha Ko (高海寧), supported the Privacy Commission’s ruling. Artists were frequently followed by the paparazzi, ready to photograph their every actions. Michael and Samantha urged that artists should have the right to personal privacy when they are home.

Source: Oriental Daily, Oriental Daily

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Jayne: The Hong Kong paparazzi indeed breathes down the neck of local celebrities. The next thing is to establish some punitive measures, as Anthony Wong, suggested. Otherwise, it is a guideline without true enforcement backing.

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Responses

  1. HK paparazzi is really over the line and needs to stop.

    1. Celebs should remember they’re celebs and not normal citizen. HK paparazzi has been doing this for 40 years why only now privacy commission doing something.

      1. I agree and why didn’t they do anything about it before?? They have to wait until now?? I wonder what have they been doing all of these years???

  2. HK paps are not nearly as bad as the British (and greater Europe) tabloids

  3. Sadly, ppl like to read shocky news, that’s why the reporters are getting more and more daring.

    1. Haha..yeah. Why else would Edison’s sex-life often splashed onto tabloids? Sad..but sensational “stories” sell 😛

      1. Yea, but what is even more sad is that they also make ridiculous assumptions, make up stories,etc… just to make things sound juicier. Then they get sued and stuff, therefore, you wonder what limits are they willing to cross in order to have more shocking news.

    1. Masaharu,
      What did you think of the findings of the Privacy Commission?

      I think that the paparazzi had crossed the line in Bosco’s case, thus there was TVB’s pressure on the Privacy Commission to do something, thus the guilty review, but without any enforcement power, the paparazzi will cross the line again.

      I don’t foresee a strong lobbying interest to really change the legislative environment to protect artists’ privacy further.

      1. I also personally don’t foresee any preventive guidelines coming up in near future to protect artiste’s privacy. Yeah, this is just an action after the media crossed the line too far.

      2. The privacy commission sounds fake. They must be only take action because this happen to a big time actor. If it happen to a supporting actor or keh leh feh I think they wont even even care LOL

      3. Vivien,

        A supporting actor or kelefe would be happy to get any news in the tabloids. Any “exposure” is good for them.

      4. @josie

        LOL then why go until camping and spying someone who don’t like their butt become cover page? Go take pic of those keh.leh feh who will love the exposure! No complain both sides happy LOL!

      5. B/c audience don’t want to see naked klf. Only want to see real stars.

      6. KLF shows body = who care?

        Stars be snapped = Hey look!

  4. I personally believe HK doggies are really crossing the lines. The reports are right in my POV, these artistes’ private lives are not “public interest”. It’s not as if these artistes’ are fighting for HK Chief Executive position and represent HK people..they’re just artistes’ who work in the entertainment business and jsut representing themselves..haha.

  5. Before enforcing any complain or legistations, artists themselves must have a tidy life first. Can’t blame the pparazis to take pics of Bosco’s nudity when himself didn’t close the curtain first, everyone who saw him parading his asset infront of the window will take pics except for those who doesn’t know or have any interest in Bosco. PPl will also argue that Bosco has every right to walk naked in his OWN house but if he’s not closing any curtain then he’s simply asking for trouble.

    1. Yeah..perhaps it’s a lesson for him too.. for being too laxed and underestimated the doggies who camped for a few days between May and June, on a hill 1 km away oposite of his house..(Source: Oriental Daily news..OT: What is the model of their powerful cameras? I’d love it for my photography fix but I think I can’t afford them expensive cams :D)..

      Let’s hope he can be more careful to his surroundings and protecting himself..

      1. Who cares if it’s taken from 1 kilometre away with a telelens and if the paparazzi camping for days or weeks! A celeb should be prepared 24 hours to be exposed even inside their bedroom! They’re different from us normal citizens!

  6. bosco comes off as a guy that isn’t packing a big one

  7. he knows he is a celeb! he knows every where he goes, he is tailed by paparazi. then why on earth did he go NAKED AND STAND BY THE WINDOW? even if u r not a celebrity, its out of the mind to be totally naked and stand b4 the trnasparent window! so happened that he is a celebrity, now, everyone is blaming the paparazi. Yes, paparazi is to be blamed but SO DOES THE PEPETRATOR HIMSELF! stop whinning and crying that u r victimised. u asked for it, in the first place!

    1. Thank god he didn’t cry with tears. He did quite a good job with the serious face through this incident and from the clip there. He’s an actor after all damn.it LOL

    2. I don’t think Bosco was that upset w/ the pics b/c he seems like an exhibitionist. I mean, how restricting are boxer shorts? No, he prefers butt naked and stand by the window too. I think he secretly likes the thrill that someone may see him. Just don’t like it that the paps try to sell his pics.

      BTW, unless Aaron likes to swim naked, what is he afraid of?

      1. Maybe Aaron swims naked. He seems like someone who’s obsessed over his body

      2. ROFL agreed. He must be taken by surprise that the papz manage to get his pic and using it to make fortune LOL. I read today that he said he don’t know why his naked butt is considered public interest ROFL

      3. Aaron… I think all of them are afraid of many things. Being pictured naked for one, but I think one they are more afraid; being caught in intimate ways with someone else, when they keep denying any liasons. We are still prudish and rightly so.

    3. I also wonder the same thing. Honestly, I wonder if even normal citizens would walk around their house naked with their blinds all open??? If Bosco did not want this to happen at all, then why did he walk around his home naked with his curtains open??? Why didn’t he do anything about it before?? He has to wait until now?? I wonder what his purpose is??

  8. Isn’t Anthony Wong overrreacting? You are celeb so be prepared to be watched and spied 24 hours a day anywhere anytime!

    1. He is not overreacting but kinda slow on the news isn’t he? Or is this old news just translated? Maybe trying to get some publicity for himself perhaps?

      1. I see! I see! He is reacting to the commission’s findings! I see!

    2. A.Wong is overreacting in the sense of privacy for his kid, if he wants to do something he can tell the paps, or the papers for privacy. If he really wants to do something about it, move to another country instead of challenging the paps. Do not tell me he does not enjoy being a movie star and its price. A.Wong is not overreacting in asian paps taking pictures at home that is just totally wrong. I do not enjoy, or want to watch someone (male/female) being photographed unknowingly at the privacy of the home. It is just wrong to be photographed like that. Peeping stuff is just creepy.

  9. Infringement of one’s privacy is despicable on the part of the perpetrator who should be brought to task by the authorities concerned.

    1. Agreed but if in America this is near impossible (except for damages, rarely have I seen any criminal charges) more so in HK which basically has zero privacy rights. Point is the actors must know how to protect themselves. Even in your own home, use a curtain for heaven sake!

      Anyway I’d rather HK fix their kidnapping penalty first and then infringement of privacy. So many lax laws in HK.

      1. Crazy isn’t it? But then.. difficult to say that that man may indecently expose himself to passing children in his own home. He is liable. I suppose moral plays a large part in such matters.

      2. If change gender, a woman naked in her house and a man on the street look into her window, the man will be charged for peeping tom lol

      3. “If change gender, a woman naked in her house and a man on the street look into her window, the man will be charged for peeping tom lol”

        ROFL Agreed!

      4. I disagree with this verdict. That woman is being a busybody peering into his window. She expose herself to this. She’s accountable, not the man.

      5. I agree with Kidd that if it were the woman that did it, then she is accountable not the guy. Just because she is female does NOT mean that it is always the guy’s fault.

  10. Though it is against the law that paparazzi took such a nude photo of Bosco Wong, I think he is asking for it. I myself wouldn’t want to see him naked standing by a window if I walked by his house. How many people would stand naked by a window with curtains up?

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