In March 2010, Singapore's most famous filmmaker Jack Neo admitted to a two-year extramarital affair with 22-year-old freelance model Wendy Chong, shattering his wholesome family-man image and costing him major endorsement deals. Further reports alleged he had pursued or attempted affairs with up to 11 women.
The scandal broke on 6 March 2010 when Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that Chong, who had played a minor role in Neo's 2008 film Money No Enough 2, had confronted Neo's wife Irene Kng about the affair. Neo, then 50, had been married to Kng since 1990 and had four children, including a 19-year-old daughter only slightly younger than Chong. Singaporeans were stunned: Neo had built his career on family-oriented heartland comedies and a squeaky-clean public persona.
On 9 March, additional reports alleged Neo had pursued up to 11 women. Actress-host Foyce Le Xuan, an artiste under Neo's J Team talent management company, accused him of making indecent advances toward her while she worked for him. A French student, Maelle Meurzec, made similar claims. Le Xuan, who attended the same City Harvest Church as Neo, said she was advised by her pastor to stop talking to the media as Neo's pastor counselled him and his wife.
On 11 March, Neo and Kng held a dramatic five-minute press conference at the Scorpio East building, facing the largest media turnout of Neo's career. Looking dishevelled, Neo admitted his mistake in Mandarin and repeatedly asked the media to let him off, wiping away tears. Kng stood by him, reiterating her love and forgiveness before collapsing and being carried off the stage.
The commercial fallout was immediate. Mitsubishi Electric Asia dropped Neo as the face of its Starmex air conditioners, pulling all newspaper, outdoor and television campaigns. Bee Cheng Hiang and Goh Joo Hin also ended their endorsement deals after initial wait-and-see stances. Neo, a City Harvest Church member, underwent pastoral counselling.
Seven months later, Neo told Malaysian media the Singapore press had still not forgiven him. The couple, however, stayed together and remain married. The scandal remains the benchmark celebrity infidelity saga in Singapore, recalled whenever new entertainment controversies erupt.
The scandal dominated Chinese-language media for weeks, with Lianhe Wanbao running daily front-page updates and fortune tellers weighing in on Neo's fate. Commentators compared the saga to the Tiger Woods scandal unfolding in the United States at the same time. Seven months later, while promoting his film Homecoming in Malaysia, Neo admitted to reporters that the Singapore press had still not forgiven him, saying they kept hounding him about his past even as he tried to move on. His wholesome image never fully recovered, though his films continued to draw heartland audiences.