Plastic surgeon apologises for divulging details of celebrity clients

A plastic surgeon who revealed more than he should have about his celebrity clients has publicly apologised for his gaffe on a local radio station.

According to the Lianhe Wanbao, Dr JJ Chua, who runs his private practice, the JJ Chua Rejuvenative Cosmetic & Laser Surgery at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, had earlier divulged details on surgeries that he has performed on local celebrities in an interview with reporters from the Chinese Daily.

His revelation sent ripples across the local celebrity circle, casting an uncomfortable spotlight on several celebrities long thought to have undergone cosmetic enhancement.

"Lips are sealed" from now

Dr Chua, 43, was invited by 100.3FM to give his response. During his on-air interview with the DJs, Dr Chua admitted that he has a tendency to not "think before he speaks" and apologised several times for offending his celebrity clients.

He also vowed not to commit the same mistake again, saying his "lips are sealed" from now on. At the start of the interview, another DJ, DJ Wen Hong read out part of an article that appeared in U-weekly. In the article, an anonymous male celebrity expressed his shock upon reading Dr Chua's 'expose'. He accused Dr Chua of using his clients' status to advertise his services, and said that "perhaps Dr Chua no longer needs to rely on his celebrity clients (for his business)".

After hearing those words, Dr Chua immediately apologised, stating: "Sorry, it is all my fault".

Dr Chua said that in his interview with Wanbao, he had tried to disguise the identities of his clients as much as possible, but it still led to much finger-pointing amongst members of the celebrity circle.

After his interview was published, Dr Chua admitted that a few of his famous clients had called to admonish him for his indiscretion, to which he apologised and blamed himself for being a "loud mouth".

"I did not think that my actions would cause embarrassment to my clients. I completely understand their point of view, and will not speak on such matters from now on."

DJs surprised by his remorse

Even the DJs themselves seemed surprised by the doctor's self-reproach and remorse.

According to DJ Li Mei, Dr Chua appeared emotional while apologising, and his eyes were "red and teary", while DJ Wen Hong said Dr Chua apologised "at least 10 times" during the interview.

He expressed sympathy for Dr Chua, saying: "It must not be easy for such a highly-regarded professional to apologise so publicly."

"I felt bad for him. From his expression, you could tell he was guilt-ridden and has realised his mistake." said the DJ.

He continued: "Before, I thought of him as someone who had no qualms about blabbing about his clients' secrets to the public, but my impression of him has changed after this interview."


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