Artist harassment: A painful problem from stage to private life

A wave of harassment allegations against domestic artists is raising concerns about the invasion of privacy and personal safety in the entertainment industry. Recent public cases show that this problem is no longer limited to gender or age.

On February 23, runner-up Hong Dang attracted attention when she shared about being harassed on the street. Specifically, while walking to the gym, she was molested by a person on a motorbike and then left. Despite being scared, the runner-up bravely returned to the scene and searched for security cameras to find the culprit.

At the same time, Miss Thuy Tien also revealed that she was a victim of harassment after an event. "Statements like 'girls being touched is shameful', 'these things are normal' really affected my thinking. The harasser is the one who should be ashamed!", Thuy Tien expressed.

Previously in 2021, Miss Luong Thuy Linh experienced a scary situation when a stranger kept following her and deliberately approached her at the supermarket. "I felt scared so I tried to avoid her and replied: 'No, you got the wrong person'. But this person kept following me, walking halfway around the supermarket and kept saying something," she recounted.

Actress Ly Nha Ky recently spoke out about being harassed by "crazy fans" for many years. These people not only followed her every move but also knew personal information about her family, even entering her home. "They once sneaked into my house and tried to get into my room. They called me my beloved wife, my bride...", the actress shared.

Singer Noo Phuoc Thinh also faced a similar situation when a female fan continuously posted photos and clips secretly filmed in front of his house at night. Despite being reminded, this person continued to have annoying actions.

Thanh Duy is one of the few male singers who dared to speak up about being sexually harassed for two years. "For many years, Duy did not want to speak up, but kept quiet and blocked. Because I did not want to hurt anyone, even though it was clear that those actions were sexual harassment and I was the victim, I felt haunted and tired," the male singer shared.

Duong Trieu Vu was once sexually harassed by some audience members on stage during a show in the US in 2018. When he responded to the incident, he faced comments that downplayed the issue, such as "how can a man be sexually harassed?"

Actor Quoc Anh also revealed that he was sexually abused by a man when he was young. Although he was not severely affected psychologically, the incident made him more cautious in relationships.

In Korea, many male idols such as members of B1A4 and EXO have been victims of sexual harassment. Some crazy fans even disguised themselves to sneak into the men's restroom with EXO members, forcing them to be on high alert.

In Hollywood, actress Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment and defamation during filming.It Ends With Us.

In the face of increasingly serious harassment of artists, many audiences are upset that artists need to boldly denounce acts of harassment and invasion of privacy, especially in the context of the development of social networks. Raising public awareness of the boundary between love of art and harassment is also extremely important. It is necessary to eliminate gender stereotypes in the issue of harassment, creating a safe environment for victims, especially men, to boldly speak up.

At the same time, the media needs to report and create forums for artists to share and report harassment without fear of judgment. In addition, artists need to be more proactive in protecting themselves, equipping themselves with legal knowledge, situation handling skills, and not hesitate to seek intervention from authorities when necessary. Artist management companies need to have plans to protect the safety of their people, especially at crowded events.