Year of 'true love' and shame for fame

But it is still not known whether director Wang Quan'an will be as "lucky" as Huang. Wang, who won the Gold Bear Award at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival for his film Tuya's Marriage, was caught "in the act" with a prostitute by police in a high-end Beijing apartment in September. The scandal drew explosive comments from netizens, with many wondering why the 48-year-old Wang chose to buy sex when he has 28-year-old Zhang Yuqi, a sexy, drop-dead-gorgeous actress, as his wife.

The year 2014 was also marked by kengdie, an Internet buzzword describing the predicament of a father because of his son's or daughter's behavior. On Aug 14, Jaycee Chan, son of kung fu superstar Jackie Chan, was detained by police in Beijing for drug use. The drug-addiction of Jaycee, also an actor, came as a huge embarrassment for Jackie Chan, who was appointed China's ambassador for the fight against drugs in 2009 but didn't live up to the honor or his reputation. Jackie Chan once said that what he detested most was drug use and promised to send anyone who used drugs - his son included - to rehab. It remains a big question why the senior Chan's image and his role as the country's ambassador for the anti-drug campaign failed to instill in his son any sense of social responsibility.

But perhaps actor Zhang Guoli suffered more embarrassment than Jackie Chan. On Aug 1, Zhang's son Zhang Mo, also an actor, was caught by Beijing police smoking marijuana. Zhang Mo had been detained for 13 days in 2012 for the same offense, following which his father and director Feng Xiaogang issued a public apology and requested people to give the "lost young man" a chance for "a new life". Zhang Guoli did not beg for public forgiveness a second time after his son's detention in August. The public, maybe the senior Zhang himself, could not understand why Zhang Mo couldn't mend his ways.

This year has been one of mixed bags for celebrities. Will the wayward ones change their ways next year? We have to wait for the answer.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. wuyixue@chinadaily.com.cn