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Taiwan TV star Jacky Wu apologizes for bomb threat, says son will step down from entertainment

Jacky Wu apologizes for son's threat to bomb Taipei City Hall, says son will step down from entertainment

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Jackie Wu (left) and Rick Wu (right).

Jackie Wu (left) and Rick Wu (right). (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- At a press conference yesterday (Aug. 20), TV variety show host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) apologized for a bomb threat on Taipei City Hall posted by his son Rick Wu (吳睿軒) and his father said this may be the end of his son's career.

What had originally been scheduled to be a press conference to promote a new album release by Rick Wu, who goes by the stage name LucyPIE, instead morphed into an announcement that the young musician would be leaving the industry after he posted a bomb threat on his Instagram account. In recent days, Wu posted an image of himself with his girlfriend on his Instagram page which included the following bizarre text: "If my girlfriend's sickness does not improve, I'm going to make a bomb and bomb Taipei City Hall, all the people will pay for the crime."

The menacing post was uploaded by a netizen to the popular online forum PTT, quickly creating a media storm and spurring the Taipei Police Department to launch an investigation. On Aug. 19, Wu apologized for making what he called a "joke" and that evening, police took Wu in for questioning without a lawyer present.

Yesterday (Aug. 20), on the set of his TV show Hot Door Night (綜藝大熱門), Jacky Wu told reporters what he originally thought would be a press conference to support the release of his son's new album "Ambulance,” instead turned into an announcement of his son's departure from the entertainment industry. Expressing extreme disappointment in his son's actions, Wu said, "OK, can I tell you a secret? The secret is that Jacky Wu's son is an idiot isn't he," reported Now News.

Speaking to his son, Wu said, "I used to resist, said things, all festering in front of you, but I'm no longer able to persevere, I don't want to deal with any more issues in public, the entertainment circle doesn't need a worthless guy like you, the most inexcusable act is stupidity," according the report.

In response Rick Wu said:

"I'm sorry to cause panic. I'm here to apologize. In addition to apologizing to everyone, I also want to apologize to my father and sister, who have always stood in front of me and provided me guidance. Because I naively made a joke, they now face many problems. I screwed myself up, I couldn't sleep all night. I let everyone down. Whether it’s my father, sister or the fans, I really set a bad example. It was really foolish, really idiotic and I will pay more attention later. Whether it’s an open account or a private account, I will be very careful about what I post."

Wu maintains that the post was made on a private account and therefore was not meant to be a public announcement.

The case has been transferred to the Shilin Prosecutor's Office for a potential violation of the Criminal Code.

Rick Wu's predicament has reminded many of the 18-year-old son of Taiwanese celebrities Sun Peng (孫鵬) and Di Ying (狄鶯), An Tso "Edward" Sun (孫安佐), who threatened to "shoot up" a private school in Pennsylvania in March of this year, leading to a massive, costly legal battle which is still ongoing.