Asian Entertainment News & Celebrity Gossip

Singer Ok Ju-hyeon, formerly with all-girl pop group F.I.N.K.L., has fallen in love with the son of a Korean media company owner, it has been revealed. Ok dropped the news on a recent TV show. Identified only by his initial “C,” the man is a Korean-American living in Los Angeles and was born in 1980, the same year as the singer. The two met as friends, but have since been linked romatically since April.

During a recent appearance on a talk show, Ok confessed that she was dating the man, whom she described as a “nice guy” with the matching blood type “A”. The singer later described her boyfriend in more detail, saying that he’s a simple man who “wears blue jeans until they wear out.” Netizens seized on the gossip and online rumors were soon flying about the man’s identity. [Chosun]

Taiwan actress Xu Weilun died on Sunday night after she fell into a coma following a fatal car accident.

The 28-year-old actress was sitting in the front seat of a Mini Cooper when the car smashed into a protective fence on an expressway, then was hit by a van from behind. Xu’s assistant reportedly drove the car, but only sustained minor injuries.

Xu Weilun’s head was seriously fractured and she fell into a deep coma after the accident. Xu died of hydrocephalus.

Xu’s parents and many friends, including Ariel Lin Yichen, Zhao Shanwei and her ex-boyfriend Lee Wei, stayed at the hospital to accompany her.

The star, once nominated for a Golden Bell award for best supporting actress, was also known for her romantic liaisons with ex-boyfriends Lee Wei and Vic Zhou Yumin. [CriEnglish]

Steven Spielberg confirmed that a collaboration with George Lucas for the fourth Indiana Jones movie starring Harrison Ford is indeed in the works. While little has been revealed relating to the plot of the upcoming film, fans should expect something completely different, according to Spielberg. The new Indiana Jones will follow the trend of recent films like Casino Royale, being primarily a character piece. It appears that this film will delve into the personal affairs of Dr. Jones more deeply than ever before.

Michelle Yeoh, a star of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Memoirs of a Geisha, may fill the role of Indy’s love interest in the upcoming movie. Spielberg reportedly approached her on the set of Memoirs with an offer for a part. In an interview with IGN Film Force, Producer Frank Marshall revealed that Indy IV will take place in the late 1940s, 10 to 12 years after the events of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The setting is currently unknown. [TheHawk]

The Yankees consider themselves the most driven team in a competitive sport, so their push to boost baseball in China is not purely altruistic. They believe there is talent to be cultivated in China, and when future prospects have a choice of where to sign, the Yankees want their brand and reputation to stand out.

The Yankees have been working with the Chinese Baseball Association for more than six months to forge a relationship that would allow the Yankees to send coaches, scouts and trainers to China. General Manager Cashman and three other executives accepted an invitation to travel to Beijing next week. “The Chinese are dedicated to this. They like the game. As you can see from their history, they’re great athletes, and there’s no doubt in my mind there will be a lot of great baseball players coming out of there in the future.”

But the overriding purpose of the trip is to build a foundation in China, which has produced no major leaguers and lost all three of its games in the World Baseball Classic last March by the combined score of 40-6. [NYTimes]

Actress Lucy Liu has embraced her maternal side since becoming a godmother, and she’s urging other women to do the same.

The Charlie’s Angels star insists it’s natural for every woman to get broody sometimes, and she admits her biological clock has been set off by spending time with her two-year-old goddaughter.

The 38-year-old says, “I have a goddaughter that I adore who is a two years old, and I would never say no to children. I think it’s important to embrace that side of you. As a woman, whether you have children or not of your own, it’s a natural kind of thing.” [TeenHollywood]

After a four year absence, one of Cantopop’s Four Heavenly Kings, Jacky Cheung, has released a new Mandarin album called “By Your Side”. A press conference for the album’s global release was held in Taipei on Thursday. Jacky worked on his new album following the world tour of the musical “Snow Wolf Lake” last year.

Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie and her 5-year-old son Maddox spent more than $700 on Friday just to take a shower at a posh hotel.

Jolie and her son made a stop at Shutters on the Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., so they could shower and freshen up.

A source tells Star magazine, “Angelina said they only wanted the room for two hours — time enough for them both to take a shower. She was very sweet and seemed like a concerned mom.

“It was just very bizarre, when she and Brad (Pitt) own two house here in Los Angeles, that she would need to spend that kind of money on a hotel room just so she and Maddox could shower.”

Jolie and Pitt recently moved their family to New Orleans, La., where he is currently filming “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” [SFGate]

Rock Legend, Eric Clapton, in Shanghai last week during his Asia tour

The other Legend, John Legend, gets his freak on in Hong Kong.

The Dumpling is excited about the Spice Girls re-union tour in Asia. Love their new look but why did they change their name to Il Divo? Must mean Spice Girls in British. (Picture Source: ugwug)

Michelle Kwan’s first performance as an American diplomat was flawless.

As America’s first “public diplomacy envoy,” a position created to try to improve the U.S. image abroad. Greeted by students two- to three-deep, Kwan waded into the crowd and by the end of the visit, Kwan’s ankle-length black coat was smudged with white dust, and she nearly cried when a girls choir sang the school’s anthem.

“I got teary-eyed,” Kwan said. “I had to look around and just compose myself.”

The five-time world champion figure skater got the diplomat job last year. Sitting at a White House dinner with Chinese President Hu Jintao, President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Kwan told Rice she was studying political science at the University of Denver.

The daughter of immigrants from Hong Kong and southern China, the 26-year-old Kwan was born in California. She speaks Cantonese - used in southern China. She got loud applause when she asked the Beijing crowd for help with her Mandarin, the predominant language there.

Yunjin Kim

Korean-American Margaret Cho is directing Korean actress Kim Yun-jin of Lost in the recently finished Two Sisters, a tale of sisters who make amends in their relationship by taking belly dancing classes. Kim stars in the film along with Tamlyn Tomita, a Japanese-born American actress.

“I liked the scenario because while it was about girls in the United States, it was a tale of ordinary sisters, not just Asians,” Kim said.

Initially Kim’s tight schedule with Lost made it difficult to accept the offer from Cho, who is a versatile actor, writer, business woman and now a director. But apparently their female bond and Korean roots made the cooperation possible.

“After meeting Margaret, I realized her passion for work and I wanted show that women have this bond as strong as men,'’ Kim said. “I also thought it would mean something for Koreans active in the United States to work together for a film since there are so few.'’

Margaret Cho