Taiwanese host Nono gets 2.5 years’ jail for attempted rape

Nono, 54, the Taiwanese comedian and host, was sentenced to 2.5 years in jail on May 13 after he was found guilty of attempted rape.

The father of an 11-year-old daughter was found not guilty of six other charges after he was slapped with seven charges in total in May 2024 – three charges of rape, two charges of attempted rape, and two charges of indecent assault.

There were a total of six victims.

The celebrity's real name is Chen Hsuan-yu.

He has been married to Taiwanese singer Angel Chu, 39, since 2013.

He became famous after co-hosting variety shows with fellow Taiwanese host Jacky Wu, such as "Jacky Go Go Go" that aired from 2000 to 2008.

20 women accused him of sexual harassment

Chen was accused of sexual harassment by at least 20 women when Taiwan’s MeToo movement in June 2023 resulted in him and other male celebrities being accused of sexual impropriety.

His career has been put on hold since the accusations became public.

Attempted rape took place in 2011

Chen was found guilty of an attempted rape that took place in February 2011.

This occurred after he sent the victim home late at night following a TV show recording.

Chen was accused of leveraging on his status as a senior in the entertainment industry to make his move on the woman.

He had parked his car at a riverside park and attempted to rape her.

The court heard that the victim feared speaking out following the incident, as it could lead to public criticism and loss of work in the entertainment industry.

It was only after other women came forward with their accusations in June 2023 that she revealed what had happened to her.

Court accepted her testimony

Her testimony was regarded as acceptable and coherent in court as she had told other people what had happened following the incident.

The people she told were friends and family, who said her emotional state was badly affected due to the incident.

Chen was said to not have apologised, did not show contrition, did not reconcile with the victim, and even claimed he did not know the victim.

This made the court find him guilty of the crime.

The court could not proceed to find Chen guilty of the other charges as some of the testimonies by the alleged victims contained contradictions and most of the allegations lacked corroborative evidence.

Both Chen and the prosecution are able to appeal the sentence.

Unhappy with verdict

However, it appears that Chen's 2.5-year jail term is not deemed enough for some.

Taiwanese influencer Anissa wrote on Facebook on May 13 that she and the victims found Chen’s sentence too light and unacceptable.

She said she and the other women will urge the prosecution to appeal the verdict.

Anissa had in June 2023 collated some of the allegations made by the women and held a press conference to recount what the victims claimed they had experienced.

At the time, one of Chen's alleged statements to a woman gained widespread attention after it was reported in the press, as it was emblematic of the asymmetrical power, excesses, and decadence behind the scenes.

Chen had allegedly told a victim that as long as he did not ejaculate, it was not considered fornication.

Anissa had also accused Nono of molesting her by allegedly running his hands up her blouse and also touching her bottom after he managed to spend time alone with her.

Taiwan's MeToo movement saw actor Chris Wang, hosts Jeffery Hsu and Mickey Huang and singer-actor Aaron Yan apologise for their behaviour.

Top photos via Nono Facebook