SINGAPORE – Taiwanese actor Danson Tang is only the latest Asian male celebrity who chose to conceal fatherhood, belatedly disclosing in November 2023 that he has an 11-year-old son with an ex-girlfriend.

Four months later, reports surfaced that he also shares a two-year-old son with his current fiancee.

Whether it is to protect the privacy of their non-celebrity partners or keep up the appearance of being single and available, several stars have successfully hidden their offspring from the glare of the media. But inevitably, in show business, secrets tumble out.

Others who have dropped similar bombshells over the years include Wu Chun, Hu Ge, Chen Kun and Zhang Yujian, who all shocked fans by suddenly announcing they are actually fathers.

1. Danson Tang

The 39-year-old rose to fame in the 2000s with Taiwanese idol dramas such as KO One (2005 to 2006) and The X-Family (2007).

He returned to the spotlight in mid-2023 when he took part in the third season of Chinese reality singing show Call Me By Fire, and made headlines after proposing to his girlfriend, Taiwanese-American actress Becky Su, 26, during the finale in November 2023.

Online rumours of him having a child out of wedlock began swirling soon after, leading Tang to disclose on an entertainment show that he had fathered a son with his former girlfriend 11 years ago.

But the plot twist did not end there. Earlier in March, he was spotted at a park with Su and a boy who looked to be about two years old. Su then admitted in a social media post that the kid is hers. Tellingly, Tang has not denied paternity.

2. Wu Chun

When it comes to shocking daddy statuses, this Brunei heart-throb wins hands down.

Previously based in Taiwan, the singer-actor, now 44, charmed many female fans when he was part of Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit between 2005 and 2011.

After he was romantically linked to singer-actress Ella Chen from Taiwanese girl group S.H.E after starring together in Taiwanese idol drama Hanazakarino Kimitachihe (2006 to 2007), he famously declared he had not had a girlfriend for nine years.

In 2011, Next magazine reported that Wu was secretly married to his high-school sweetheart and that they had a baby girl together, but he continued to issue denials, and quit Fahrenheit about a week after the report.

He made a U-turn on the subject only in 2013, when he admitted that he had tied the knot with his high-school sweetheart Lin Liying in 2009, welcomed a daughter in 2010 and were expecting a son in October 2013.

In 2020, he went on Chinese variety show Before Wedding and flashed his marriage certificate, which showed that the couple were actually married in 2004.

But the long-running deception did not hurt his career. Now, Wu is known for openly sharing photos and snippets of family bliss with Lin, 44, and children Neinei, 13, and Max, 10, on social media.

3. Hu Ge

The 41-year-old Chinese actor, who starred in Chinese dramas Chinese Paladin (2005) and Nirvana In Fire (2015), caused fans to do a double take in January 2023 when he revealed on social media that not only was he married, but he was also the father of a baby girl. He continued to keep mum about his family, only stating through his agency on May 5, 2023, that they celebrated the 100th day since his daughter’s birth and that her nickname is “Little Jasmine”.

While Hu did not disclose the identity of his wife, online sleuths claim she is his former manager Huang Xining, who is 11 years younger than him.

4. Chen Kun

The 48-year-old Chinese star, whose film accolades include winning Best Actor for Painted Skin (2008) at China’s Hundred Flowers Awards and being nominated for Best Leading Actor for A West Lake Moment (2005) at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards, is single.

But he is the father of Alex Chen, who is now 22.

Back in 2007, Chinese media spotted Chen Kun with his then five-year-old son, but he declined to comment on his family situation, citing privacy concerns.

It was only in 2010 that he publicly acknowledged Alex’s existence for the first time on Taiwanese talk show Shen Chun Hua Life Show. However, Chen has never revealed the identity of Alex’s mother.

Since then, Chen has occasionally posted photos of his son on social media, including those of Alex’s 18th birthday celebration, which was attended by Chen’s celebrity pals, Chinese actress Zhou Xun and Taiwanese actress Shu Qi.

5. Zhang Yujian

Chinese actor Zhang Yujian and actress Janice Wu went from reel to real couple after they starred in Chinese idol drama Le Coup De Foudre (2019), playing classmates who fall in love.

They became tabloid fodder after the show concluded, when a netizen saw Zhang, 34, accompanying a pregnant-looking Wu, 31, for a prenatal check-up in October 2019.

The lovers remained silent about their relationship and reports of their child being born in 2020, until Wu – who had disappeared from the public eye – was spotted by the Chinese paparazzi with a little girl in March 2021.

Zhang then took to social media to confirm the open secret – that he married Wu and had a child with her.

However, less than a year later, the pair announced their divorce on Valentine’s Day in 2022. Not much is known about their co-parenting arrangement, but in December 2023, fans saw the exes together in public for the first time with their daughter since the split. They were in Hong Kong Disneyland.

Wu has since become more active in the entertainment industry, acting in TV series such as Here We Meet Again (2023) and Faithful (2023), and taking part in popular Chinese reality singing show Ride The Wind 2023 before withdrawing midway due to health reasons.