Legally they could sue him for damages that amount to twice the fee they paid him for the role. Even so, they appear to be stuck in a lose-lose situation.

What if regulators place an official or unofficial ban on any work Huang is involved with, finished either before or after the scandal? They could cite the impact on public morals as a justification.

Bon appetite

Co-productions are no guarantee

What if buyers, mainly State-owned television stations, shy away from his work for fear of inciting unnecessary controversy? There is a glut of TV drama in the marketplace anyway and they can afford to be choosy.

What if audience members, now that the veil of illusion is lifted, can-not accept him as a screen hero any-more? The public is fickle, they adore you today and may desert you in a whim, let alone in the aftermath of a crushing incident like this.

In theory, what actors do in their profession and what they do in their private life are two different things. An actor may portray symbols of virtue on screen or on stage, and he or she could be the opposite in real life. And vice versa. If they break the law they should face full punishment. The penalty should not be more or less lenient because of their celebrity status.

But the court of public opinion does not function in a void. Actors build up their public image more from their roles than from who they are as a private citizen.

As they draw direct and tangible benefits from this image, they have a responsibility to protect it as part of their intangible assets. If they fail to do so, they suffer the consequences that often go beyond monetary losses.

While public awareness needs to be raised on the difference between who actors are and who they project to be, there is an implicit pact between them and the public that they must honor. It is not an issue within the legal realm. But it exists regardless. Many careers have been derailed as a result of personal scandals.

Li Daimo, the young singer who emerged from a hit TV contest, was sentenced to nine months' jail for hosting a drug-taking party and saw his budding career evaporate.

After the screen icon Liu Xiaoqing was released from a year of detention, during which time charges of tax evasion were investigated but no charges laid, she shifted her career from high octane to the slow lane, playing mostly supporting roles afterwards. Worse than that, she no longer occupied the front pages of tabloids unlike the 1990s when she made news almost weekly.