Anthony Neely, 28
Who: American Mandopop singer known for his signature husky vocals and best-selling 2012 album, Wake Up
Marriage kept secret for: Four years
What happened: Last week, he admitted amid tears in an online video clip posted on his Facebook page that he has been married for four years and also has a three-year-old daughter.
He decided to confess the truth out of love for his family, he said.
"I love my wife, I don't want my wife to keep suffering because of my decision to keep this a secret. I love my daughter and I don't want to keep explaining to her why I can never take her out to the park and play," he said.
Consequences: The Facebook post was "liked" by almost 13,500 people and the comments were overwhelmingly supportive.
A Facebook user by the name of Tina Square wrote: "What we love is you, your songs and your performances. Hope you, your wife and lovely daughter can be happy forever."
Meanwhile, netizen Alyssa Liu wrote in Chinese: "Your good music won't be influenced by your marital status. Will continue to support you and also wish you and your family lots of happiness."
Looks like Neely has emerged unscathed by his confession. But maybe that is because the former One Million Star contestant can actually sing and has his music to fall back on.
Charlene Choi (left), 31, and Ronald Cheng, 42
Who: Choi, of duo Twins with Gillian Chung, is a singer-turned- actress known for her bubbly charm. Cheng is a singer-actor known for his comedic flair.
Marriage kept secret for: Four years
What happened: The two wed in secret in 2006 in Los Angeles and the marriage was not exposed until reporters uncovered their marriage certificate in 2010. Amid rumours, the couple held a press conference confirming the news, then announced tearfully they were in the midst of a divorce.
Consequences: While reports of their secret marriage and subsequent divorce were shocking, it did not appear to have much of a negative effect on either of them, contrary to what Hong Kong actor Chow Yun Fat had believed. He said: "I understand why Charlene would have done it. She probably kept it secret because she was worried she would lose many fans."
Perhaps Choi is also lucky that her singing partner Chung was involved in an even bigger scandal when she was found in 2008 to be one of the women whose naked photos were taken by singer Edison Chen and leaked.
Jackie Chan, 60
Who: Hong Kong action film star known globally for his many action-comedies
Marriage kept secret for: 16 years
What happened: Chan married Taiwanese actress Lin Feng-jiao in 1982 and also had son Jaycee with her, but he kept both wife and child secret for the next 16 years.
Rumours kept surfacing that he was married with a son, but he always denied it.
Chan went public with their identities only in 1998, when he referred to them as "daughter-in-law" and "grandson" in an obituary of his godfather, film producer Leonard Ho.
Consequences: Allegedly, a Japanese fan committed suicide upon hearing news of his romance in the 1980s while another fan attempted suicide outside his home, but was saved.
Chan was quoted as saying: "The suicides had a huge effect on me, so I was even more scared of revealing my wife's pregnancy to the public."
Not to make light of the alleged suicides, but is the famous playboy using this as an excuse to stay away from his family and fool around?
Jin Akanishi, 30
Who: Heart-throb, singer and actor and former member of boyband Kat-tun
Marriage kept secret for: 11/2 months
What happened: Akanishi tied the knot with actress Meisa Kuroki in February 2012 in secret until the Japanese media leaked the news a month later. Reportedly, the bride was also pregnant with their child.
Consequences: His agency Johnny's Entertainment was furious to find out about his marriage only in the news and penalised him by cancelling his concert tour. Akanishi was then asked to pay the bill for the cancellation fines out of his own pocket, allegedly costing a few million yen.
In an official statement, the company said he "deviated from the rules of etiquette as an adult member of society" for not first informing and asking for permission from the company about his intentions to get married.
Reportedly, Akanishi was also dropped from playing the lead on TV in a remake of hit drama series GTO.
Seo Tai Ji (right), 42, and Lee Ji Ah, 36
Who: Known as the "president of culture", singer Seo is one of the original South Korean pop icons and was once part of popular boyband Seo Taiji & Boys. Actress Lee is known for her TV dramas such as Athena: Goddess Of War (2011).
Marriage kept secret for: 14 years
What happened: In 2011, Korean news reports ran the shocking story that Seo was secretly married to Lee for nine years, from 1997 to 2006 while they were living in the United States. They uncovered the story when court papers surfaced, indicating that Lee had filed a lawsuit against Seo asking for, among other things, 500 million won (S$595,180) in divorce settlement. Consequences: The news rocked Korean show business and it soon became juicy "he said, she said" fodder as both Lee and Seo shared details of their former relationship. She said she kept it secret because he wanted to and that she had to sacrifice seeing her own family for seven years. Seo refuted the claims, saying her parents were aware of their relationship and travelled to the US to visit her. The ex-couple reached an out-of-court settlement with a non-disclosure agreement.
Lee reportedly dated actor Jung Woo Sung following her divorce, but they have allegedly broken up. Seo married actress Lee Eun Sung last year and had a daughter in August.
Career-wise, both appear to be doing fine. Seo is releasing a new album this year. Lee has a three-picture screenwriting contract with Hollywood's Maybach Film Productions.
Wu Chun, 34
Who: Brunei-born Taiwan-based heart-throb, actor and singer and ex-member of Taiwanese boyband Fahrenheit
Relationship kept secret for: 18 years
Marriage kept secret for: Six years
What happened: In 2011, Hong Kong tabloids reported Wu is married with a daughter, even publishing an alleged family photo. But he denied the allegations. Two years later, while promoting his autobiography Ignite Courage, he posted the truth online and announced at a press conference he was married and has a three-year-old daughter. He tied the knot in 2009, adding in subsequent interviews that his wife Lin Li Ying is his first love, whom he had known since he was 16.
Consequences: When people questioned if his announcement was a publicity stunt as he was promoting his book, Wu denied the allegations and pledged to donate royalties from the book to charity. He also said he had never cared about how his marriage announcement would affect his career. He added: "My wife wants to keep a low profile and I respect her decision. I lied to the press in order to protect our relationship."
In April this year, Wu and his daughter Xinyi appeared on Chinese reality TV show Dad Is Back (2014). He has remained off the radar, doing the occasional role in film and TV.
Andy Lau, 53
Who: One of Hong Kong's most famous and prolific singer- actors known as one of the four Heavenly Kings
Relationship kept secret for: 23 years
Marriage kept secret for: One year and two months
What happened: Lau and former Malaysian beauty queen Carol Choo reportedly fell in love in 1986 when he was 24 and she, 18.
Over the next two decades, they kept their relationship a secret, with Lau referring to her as a "friend" whenever asked.
In June 2008, the two tied the knot secretly in Las Vegas, but it was only a year later that the marriage was exposed when the Chinese media found their marriage certificate online.
Lau subsequently admitted in an online blog post that the rumours were true.
Consequences: Fans were infuriated because they felt he had "cheated" them. Lau had said earlier he promised to come clean about his marriage should he ever tie the knot.
For not keeping his promise, he was labelled "lying Heavenly King".
Eventually, he made a public apology, telling reporters amid tears: "As a public figure, I wish to apologise for lying and for disappointing many people. I hope they will forgive me. I openly say here that I am married."
"I love my wife, I don't want my wife to keep suffering because of my decision to keep this a secret. I love my daughter and I don't want to keep explaining to her why I can never take her out to the park and play."
