SINGAPORE – When the #MeToo movement hit the Taiwanese entertainment industry in 2023, with many women speaking out about the alleged sexual harassment and assault they suffered at the hands of famous male entertainers, veteran host Jacky Wu was not implicated. 

In a recent interview with the local media, the 61-year-old calls himself the “biggest beneficiary” of the #MeToo awakening.

Wu was in town on Feb 16 at e-commerce platform Shopee’s offices to conduct live-stream sales of his wellness products and supplements. He also performed a three-night private show at Marina Bay Sands from Feb 15 to 17.

“There was nothing about me,” he says. “My daughters told me (when I was not implicated), ‘Not bad, dad, you’ve been quite good.’ Of course. I want my kids to be able to say loudly to others that their father is Jacky Wu.”

Wu has three daughters and a son. His eldest daughter Sandy Wu, 33, followed in his footsteps to be a television host, while his son Ricky Wu is a hip-hop singer.

While no woman came out to accuse Wu of inappropriate behaviour, he was still caught up in the headlines because of a man – television host Mickey Huang.

Huang was accused of sexual harassment by Taiwanese influencer Zofia in June 2023. Soon after, he posted several videos online in a state of mental distress and accused various celebrities of dirty deeds without proof.

In the videos, he implied that Wu had improper relationships with women and accused him of frequently borrowing money from others without returning it.

Wu denied the allegations. 

When asked about Huang, Wu does not hold back his criticisms, lambasting Huang for spreading rumours about him and his daughter Sandy.

“He’s already ugly and untalented, and yet he doesn’t cherish what he has,” Wu says.

“I don’t think the wrongs he committed are things that people can forgive. And some of these things are criminal affairs. I hope that he can be brave. If he feels that he did something shameful, then he needs to reflect and change. But if I were him, I would not have the face to return to the entertainment scene.”

Wu is particularly hurt by the words Huang said, because he feels the two had a friendly relationship in the past. 

The star showed reporters at the interview the personal messages he exchanged with Huang on WhatsApp, which date back to 2015. In the chats, which included a voice note, Huang shows off his collection of Wu’s albums and compliments Wu on his looks in his younger days and his body of work.

Wu says: ”He was like a fan of mine, yet he was saying all these things about me behind my back. Perhaps it is because he knows he can never win me, in this life or the next.”

While Wu is upset by Huang’s actions, he says he will still forgive him if he receives an apology – which he has not. 

“I’ll forgive him and I’ll encourage him to do something else. Drive Uber, maybe.”

Wu admits that he feels sad when he is misunderstood or maligned. One such instance is an incident involving Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun, when she made an appearance on his variety programme, Jacky Go Go Go, early in her career.

Sun had previously written in Singapore’s late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s 2011 book, My Lifelong Challenge: Singapore’s Bilingual Journey, about a slight Wu made about her Chinese language proficiency, which she describes as a slap in the face.

In response, Wu says: “I don’t know why she said that. Everyone knows I’m the easiest and nicest person to work with in the industry. I will never bully anyone.”

With close to 40 years of experience in entertainment, Wu has seen his share of ups and downs.

While he still hosts the popular variety programmes Super Entourage, Hot Door Night and Mr Player, he is ready to retire from television.

“Television is not the same industry it used to be. It’s not as fun as before. Those who act want to rest, but those who watch want to keep watching, so even though I want to leave, the stations won’t let me go. I also can’t leave Super Entourage, which I host with Sandy, because that’s her flagship show.”

To Wu, television is now a side gig. Instead, he spends most of his time following a jam-packed schedule of flying to countries such as China and South Korea to conduct live-stream sales of his line of products. 

Wu simply cannot seem to stop working.

He says: “If I knew better, I would have retired at 28. When I went to Taipei at 19, I thought that once I made my first NT$2 million, I’d just buy a big house, find a wife, have children and run a cafe because I love drinking coffee and, every day, I’d be with my family. 

“I didn’t know then that by the time I was 29, I would be making enough money to buy a cafe every day.”