Joel Chan Accused Of Being Rude To Fan, Says Viral Photo Of The Incident “Was [Taken] Out Of Context”

Keyboard warriors are always quick to point fingers at celebrities for their actions because of clips they see on social media.

How much of what we see online can actually be trusted though?

Recently, TVB actor Joel Chan found himself accused by netizens of being rude to a fan, no thanks to a video that’s circulated on Xiaohongshu.

In the viral video, the 48-year-old was walking in a mall in Tin Shui Wai with fellow TVB star Owen Cheung when they were approached by a guy.

When the fan gestured with his phone that he wanted a pic, Joel, who had his arms crossed the entire time, declined as he continued on his way.

Joel’s behaviour angered netizens, with many battering him for “putting on airs” and “lacking manners”.

But what’s the star’s side of the story?

When speaking to the media at a publicity event for his new drama Anonymous Signal, the actor explained that he was actually rushing off to another publicity event that day.

“Owen and I have lost our way for quite some time already, and we were afraid we were going to be late,” he recalled.

The duo were chased by their security guards to pick up their pace when the fan went up to Joel.

“I already said [to the fan], very politely in fact: ‘So sorry, we’re in a rush! I’ll take the photo with you later’,” recounted the actor.

Joel was also accused of being rude for crossing his arms while walking past the fan, but he has a reason for that too.

“I crossed my arms because it was very cold that day. That was probably how people managed to snap that picture which was out of context,” he averred.

After the incident, Joel decided he’d try his best to accommodate to fans’ requests moving forward.

“I thought about it after that. Next time no matter how much of a rush we are in, if it doesn’t affect much, [I] can take the photo with them first. I was just too anxious and was afraid to be late,” he said.