‘I’m not a child’: Gillian Chung gets flak for turning away fan’s stuffed toy gift

Is there anything wrong with gifting a woman in her 40s a stuffed toy?

Hong Kong singer-actress Gillian Chung thinks it might be a problem, seeing that she’s decided to put her foot down and reject such a gift from a fan, according to Hong Kong media outlet HK01’s report on Tuesday (June 6).

The 42-year-old, known for being half of Hong Kong pop duo Twins with Charlene Choi, had just stepped into the compounds of Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport, where many fans were eagerly awaiting her arrival.

When a fan approached her to give her a stuffed toy, and told her that there is a card in the bag, she muttered: “Just give me the card, don’t give me toys, I’m not a child.”

Some netizens felt that her tone was unfriendly and even condescending, akin to throwing a tantrum, and accused her of throwing her weight around as a celebrity.

Fans left comments to speak up for her and explained that she simply didn’t want fans to waste money.

One said: “She is not bad-tempered, just straight-shooting and not a hypocrite. She doesn’t want her fans to waste money, and she signed her autograph before leaving. If it’s just bad temper, she wouldn’t have signed it.”

“Apart from being bulky, some stuffed toys have hidden cameras inside (and pose a threat to her privacy), so don’t give her stuffed toys anymore,” another emphasised.

A person clarified that Gillian had expressed her preferences before: “She has reminded fans many times not to give presents and to just give her handwritten notes.”

Gillian debuted in 2001 as a member of Twins and later moved on to act in films. She married Taiwanese gynaecologist Michael Lai in 2018, but the couple separated in 2020. In 2022, she participated in season three of Chinese reality show Sisters Who Make Waves and came in fifth place..

Gillian had been involved in a few incidents involving invasions of her privacy. She was photographed changing backstage in Genting Malaysia in 2006, and also had her intimate photos with actor-singer Edison Chen leaked to the public in 2008.