Promotional poster for TV series Let's Get Married starring Huang Haibo Photo: CFP

Crowned by Chinese audiences as their "National Good Man" due to his long portrayal of a good husband in TV shows over the past few years, actor Huang Haibo probably never expected that his reported prostitution scandal and detention by authorities would turn into such a "national" event.

Since reports that he had been detained for soliciting prostitutes first reached the media on Friday, Huang has been in the headlines of major media outlets across China while also dominating discussion on the Internet. However, it doesn't look like we need to worry about the actor's future career as oddly enough more voices have risen in his defense than have spoken against him.

BFFs

Starting his career at a young age, the 38-year-old Huang became known to millions of households through his roles as a nice guy and ideal husband in a number of TV series, such as Beautiful Daughter-in-law (2010) and the recent Let's Get Married.

His good image as a considerate, humorous, honest and kind man on TV, coupled with the relatively little gossip about him, made audiences see Huang as one of the few nice men in the entertainment world. This "nice guy" image of course is exactly why reports that he was caught having sex with a prostitute have become such a big sensation across China.

Just like any other time a celebrity becomes the center of a scandal, Huang immediately fell under the sights of the media and society. Contrasting sharply with his on-screen image, his reported behavior led to many disappointed fans. Posts such as "It's unbelievable! Another good man down!" ran across the Internet, a reference to the scandal actor Wen Zhang found himself in earlier this year after he was reported to have had multiple affairs.

However, unlike previous scandals that usually arouse prevailing criticism, Huang's case has earned him more understanding than expected. According to a survey of more than 470,000 netizens on qq.com, nearly 60 percent have shown tolerance towards Huang's behavior, with many explaining that stars are only human.

Besides earning understanding, his fans have also gone about reaffirming his acting talent, integrity and good personality. Meanwhile, as the scandal caused his family background to come under the microscope, the image of him as a good filial son has also started to emerge. 

Many celebrities have also shown sympathy and tolerance towards Huang, asking audiences to forgive the actor. Meanwhile, some netizens have jokingly set Huang up as a model of morality and frankness against the current world of entertainment filled with dirty deals and scandals.

"He is single, so he didn't betray a wife. He's also not a homewrecker breaking into someone else's relationship, instead he paid money for what he got. This shows that he is an actor of integrity who doesn't adhere to the 'unspoken rules' of the industry by fooling around with women around him or his fans," some netizens spoke for him half-jokingly.

"What's the fuss with Huang's prostitution scandal? How many stars in the entertainment world would dare say they are clean? … I still like him despite his involvement with prostitution," netizen xiayutianbuaidasan posted on Sina Weibo.

Fans' eagerness to save their idol is understandable. However, he has confessed and wrong is wrong. No matter how good a reputation Huang has established among audiences, prostitution is illegal in China. In this case, defending the misconduct of a public figure that has so much social influence just because he isn't married is probably not the most proper thing to do.

OMG!

On the other hand, I don't entirely disagree with the audience's sympathy for Huang's current plight. Over the weekend, pictures of Huang at the police station and other personal details have been flying across the Internet, while media outlets have been endlessly digging into his private life all in the name of "news." 

Meanwhile, after the police revealed that Huang had been detained for soliciting a prostitute on Friday, a netizen posted an article on tianya.cn showing photos of Huang and the involved woman at the police station. The article also contained a picture showing details of the case and how the police have handled it. 

Usually, reports would stop with exposing that he occasionally goes to upscale clubs to kick up his heels, or stop at talking about his taste in prostitutes. But exposure of this actor's private life has gone too far now, to the extent that it has begun arousing controversy about the legal rights of people who are under investigation.

TMI

In response to questions by the media looking for confirmation of the scandal, on Friday night the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau posted a message on its official Weibo account detailing that police had arrested Huang while he was with a prostitute at a hotel after receiving a tip. The post also stated that Huang had confessed.

It goes without saying that this large amount of exposure, is sure to greatly satisfy some people's desire to get a glimpse into the actor's private life. However, many netizens are starting to ask the question: Is it proper for the police, a law enforcement agency, to discuss a case on social media as if it were a tabloid newspaper?

Several lawyers who have been watching the case have stated that while it is necessary to prosecute those involved in accordance to the law, it is also necessary to ensure that the legitimate rights of those being investigated be fully respected during the process. Even though Huang is a public figure, his privacy should still be protected.

In this sense, even if the police involved in Huang's case didn't unveil any details of the case, they still failed in their duty when they allowed photos and other private information to leak onto the Internet.

The lack of respect towards people's privacy is something that we need to reflect on. Although prostitution is illegal, it seems that when it comes to the Internet's and the media's invasion of Huang's privacy, the punishment just doesn't fit the crime.
Newspaper headline: Praise for prostitution