I loved the wrong man - Gillian Chung tells of photo saga pain

Gillian Chung Yan-tung, of the Canto-pop duo Twins, has shared her feelings over the celebrity sex-photo scandal and her "wrong love" for singer-actor Edison Chen Koon-hei, who took the photos.

In a new book called Angels on Earth, which is on sale at the Book Fair, the singer-actress says she nearly lost her mind when images of her intimate moments with Chen were widely circulated on the internet.

"I wanted to leave the city immediately, to get away from everyone, but where could I go? My head exploded, I could only call my mother repeatedly, telling her I needed to rest, and cried day and night."

Chung was the first involved party to talk publicly about the incident, but, instead of sympathy, she received scorn and mockery from the public. "When I said I was silly and naive, I didn't refer to the pictures I took; I meant I loved the wrong person," she wrote.

Chung had been criticised for seeming more cheerful after the scandal than she did in 2006, when some photos taken of her in a changing room surfaced. In response, she wrote that she had been so shaken that she had to take a sedative before going on stage.

"I chose not to cry, because I really had taken these pictures, so I had to admit it ... but they [the stolen shots] were taken [from the computer] against my will; of course I was upset," she wrote.

The fallen idol, who has faded from the entertainment scene since the incident, said she had no hatred for Chen - although she wished he had faced the public sooner.

She regretted that the scandal had put pressure upon her Twins partner, Charlene Choi Cheuk-yin. "Some people said I should no longer perform because I would affect the good name of Charlene. Others said I should do pornography ... I don't want her to shoulder my burdens."

Mani Fok Man-hei, Emperor Entertainment Group's (EEG) artist management division director, said Chung had agreed to be interviewed about a month ago on the photo scandal, after learning proceeds from the resulting book would go to charity. "The book is about how one survives an adverse situation, and [the photo scandal] was certainly the worst for Gillian," Ms Fok said.

"Although it has been a while since the incident happened and Gillian has calmed down a lot, when she talks about it there still are tears in her eyes." She said Chung "wasn't given a proper chance to speak for herself, and having this chance to talk about her experience and feelings makes her feel better".