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EXO's Lay warns fans about privacy

Lay, a Chinese member of popular K-pop boy band EXO, promised to take legal action on "sasaengs" if they invade his privacy again.

"Sasaengs" is the Korean term for stalker fans of K-pop celebrities.

He released an official statement through his Chinese agency regarding two previous incidents involving "sasengs".

Entertainment website Koreaboo reported that according to Lay's representatives, on the night of Aug 18, two women attempted to break into his hotel room by wearing disguises.

His company called the police, but the women escaped and continued to harass Lay until 4am.

Then about two weeks ago, four "sasaengs" attempted to break into his drama shoot with filming gear of their own.

Lay's reps said: "The most important thing, even before trust and understanding, is respect.

"Lay's safety and the protection of his privacy is of the utmost importance. With this warning we would like to remind fans to not infringe on any laws or his safety.

"If such incidents take place again we will take pictures as evidence and - within lawful boundaries - punish those involved as harshly as we can."


US$100m Ben-Hur bombs at US box office

US historical action film Ben-Hur has flopped at the US box office.

It raked in only US$11.4 million (S$15.4 million) last weekend despite having a production budget of US$100 million.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and starring Jack Huston and Toby Kebbell, the movie, which is currently showing here and a remake of the 1959 classic, barely made the top five spots in the US.

Mr Rob Moore, vice-chairman of Paramount Pictures, which co-produced Ben-Hur, told The Hollywood Reporter: "This has definitely been a rough summer for remakes and sequels."


'Gandalf doesn't do weddings'

English actor Sir Ian McKellen revealed that he turned down US$1.5 million (S$2 million) to officiate a wedding dressed as his The Lord Of The Rings character Gandalf.

According to the Daily Mail, the offer was made on behalf of US billionaire entrepreneur Sean Parker, the first president of Facebook, for his The Lord Of The Rings-themed nuptials in 2013.

McKellen, 77, said: "I was offered $1.5 million to marry a very famous couple in California, which I would perhaps have considered doing but I had to go dressed as Gandalf. So I said, 'I am sorry, Gandalf doesn't do weddings'."


Stefani Sun tops charts with new song

She is not called the Queen of Mandopop for no reason.

On Aug 17, local singer Stefanie Sun, 38, dropped new digital single Rainbow Bot exclusively on Apple Music.

In less than a week, she became the first Mandopop female singer to top both the iTunes and Apple Music singles charts in six regions - China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia.

Rainbow Bot is also the title of her five-track EP, which features a picture of her two-year-old self on its cover.

Among the songs are Sun's renditions of Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine and xinyao pioneer Liang Wern Fook's Nursery Rhyme 1987.

 

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