Selina Jen faces media for the first time since filming accident
TAIPEI: S.H.E's Selina Jen faced the media for the first time in a Taipei press conference on Wednesday, 89 days after she was hospitalised for the serious burns she suffered in a filming accident on the set of Chinese drama "I Have A Date With Spring", reported Taiwan media.
Sporting a head of short hair, Jen, whose face appeared to have escaped any serious injury, entered the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital auditorium flanked by her group mates Ella Chen and Hebe Tien, to thunderous applause from the gathered journalists.
Clad in a grey bodysuit and a pink vest, the 29-year-old singer-actress, whose face now looks rounder after gaining 5 kilograms after the accident, became very emotional and broke down shortly after going onto the stage.
"Thank you everyone. I am sorry for making everyone worry. Today, I can finally go home!" Jen said as she and her group mates bowed to the audience.
"We are S.H.E!"
Despite being separated for such a long time because of the accident, Jen and her group mates seemed determined to stick together.
They indirectly dispelled fears that the group would break up by coming together to introduce themselves as a group once more, for the first time since the accident.
"Hello everyone! We are S.H.E!" the trio declared before each group member introduced herself.
Chen was visibly overjoyed. She raised her arms in triumph as Jen concluded the introductions.
Jen wept as she went on to thank her doctors and nurses for taking good care of her as well as her family members, record label HiM International Music, fans and fiance, lawyer Richard Chang, for giving her their unwavering support.
Chen later added that Jen's road to recovery "is a long one" and hoped that people will "give her some space" while Tien expressed that she deeply respected Jen for showing such courage and optimism in the face of adversity.
Jen made her exit after accepting a congratulatory bouquet and a cake from the medical staff that treated her.
Looking forward
Although there were initial fears that Jen could be disfigured, Professor Lin Zhi Hong, the doctor leading the medical team treating Jen, is optimistic that she will be able to work again.
"We believe allowing Selina to return to work is not a problem, although dressing must be applied to keep pressure on her facial scars. But I believe the future is bright."
Jen's father added that, despite her injuries, his daughter will still be able to sing and have children in the future.
He also praised Chang for sticking with her through thick and thin, calling him "a dependable other half" for Selina.
"When the accident happened, I once told him that they did not have to get married and that he could call off the wedding. But he refused."
Meanwhile, HiM International Music's general manager He Yan Ling has pledged that the company will do everything it can to aid Jen on her road to recovery and take care of her showbiz career.
She also expressed that HiM is now engaged in negotiations with Hunan Television, the broadcaster which had invited Jen to participate in "I Have A Date With Spring", over responsibility for the accident and compensation matters.
Soon after Wednesday's press conference, Taiwanese director Chen Ming Zhang, who helmed the project, issued a second apology to Jen and her group mates on his micro-blog for letting things go out of hand on the set.
The director had only recently issued a 2,000-word apology on his micro-blog but S.H.E fans complained it was too little too late.
