Actress fired for backing the Sunflower movement

By Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA





Actress Irene Chen (陳艾琳) was removed from the cast of the Chinese film Girlfriend Vending Machine (女友販賣機) after netizens in China uncovered posts she made on Facebook two years ago in support of the Sunflower movement.

The Sunflower movement refers to protesters who occupied the Legislative Yuan’s main chamber in March and April 2014 to protest the government’s handling of the cross-strait service trade agreement.

Chen posted comments at the time such as “Taiwan is my country” and “it does not matter if there are no opportunities for me to make money.”

Entertainer Irene Chen talks about her marriage crisis for the first time on a TV show on July 8. Screengrab from Facebook

According to reports in the Chinese-language Apple Daily, Chinese director Chen Lingsi (陳菱思) said: “Irene Chen was introduced by a friend in the industry, so we did not look into her political background.”

“We — the entire cast and crew — will not make further arguments about our mistake, but we offer our most sincere apologies to netizens and will take appropriate action,” Chen Lingsi said.

Chen Lingsi said that the movie was scheduled to premier on Nov. 15, but all production has been suspended.

“In my mind, Taiwan is only a province of China,” she said.

According to Irene Chen’s manager, the actress on Tuesday received official notice that her contract with the production was annulled.

Irene Chen was in Hong Kong, her manager said.

“Provided that no politics are involved, she will continue to pursue a career in China,” the manager said.

Irene Chen on Saturday said she would bear responsibility for her comments and actions, adding that her opinions on the matter have not changed and she is not afraid that her stance might diminish her career opportunities.

“I want to live a life that is comfortable for me,” the actress said. “If people are willing to respect my opinions and offer me a chance, I would love to accept.”

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson An Fongshan (安峰山) yesterday said that while China encourages cultural interactions across the Taiwan Strait, it is against “splittist” behavior of any kind.