No matter how many years have passed (11, to be exact), there are people who will always remember Hongkong star Gillian Chung for her involvement in the Edison Chen sex photos scandal. While its trio of central characters, Edison, Gillian and Cecilia Cheung, have long moved on — Ed is now a family man and has a daughter with model Qin Shupei, Ceci is making headlines for other reasons and Gillian married a dashing doctor last year — one can’t deny the impact the 2008 scandal had on their lives and how it practically destroyed their careers.

Gillian, 36, is now taking part in Chinese variety program Everybody Standby, where established actors and newbies compete with one another in acting challenges given by directors Vicki Zhao, Chen Kaige, Guo Jingming and Li Shaohong.

In a recent episode, Gillian brought up the reason she joined the competition and why she chose to be in Team Chen Kaige. “This time, I’m here to make amends,” she said to the director. “Because of something that happened in the past, I wasn’t able to appear in one of [your] movies.” Upon hearing that, the auteur immediately said: “And for that, I applaud you”, which caused Gillian to tear up.

Chen Kaige

So what was the “something” that happened? Turns out, Gillian had a role in the acclaimed director’s 2008 movie Forever Enthralled, which is about the life of Mei Lanfang, one of China's first opera performers. The actress-singer was cast as Mei’s wife and had already filmed her scenes when the Edison Chen sex photos scandal became the talk of the town and rumours started going around that her scenes in the movie would be replaced, no thanks to the public’s overwhelming disapproval of the star.

According to reports, Chen Kaige had intended to keep Gillian’s scenes but the late opera star’s estate had balked at the idea of the scandal-plagued actress’ involvement in the movie. Gillian’s scenes were eventually axed from the final cut.

For her challenge, Gillian was asked to perform a scene from 1991’s Centre Stage, a movie about the tragic life of ’30s film star Ruan Lingyu, who committed suicide after she became a target of gossip mongers and the tabloids.

On playing Ruan Lingyu, Gillian said she could relate to what the late movie icon went through. “I can totally understand why she couldn’t face the public’s opinion of her at that time,” she said. “At the toughest, lowest point of my life, I also couldn’t face a lot of people. Gossip is a fearful thing. It’s still something my generation can’t endure, not to mention people in 1935? It can really force someone to kill herself.”