Singaporean jailed six months in Taiwan for stalking Golden Melody Award winner Olivia Tsao Ya-wen

Yahoo

a day ago

TAIPEI, June 12 — A Singaporean woman has been sentenced to six months in jail in Taiwan for stalking and harassing Golden Melody Award-winning singer Olivia Tsao Ya-wen, after her obsession with the star escalated into threats and public confrontation.
According to The Straits Times, Cassandra Low, a woman in her 30s, was found guilty by the New Taipei District Court of endangering the personal safety of Tsao, and of offences including stalking, harassment and public insult.
The court's verdict, published on June 5, followed months of troubling behaviour that forced the singer and her agent to leave their homes.
Low, described in court documents as a long-time fan of Tsao, began contacting the singer via personal emails and messages on Facebook and Instagram from November 2023.
However, her behaviour took a dark turn after she was blocked on social media by Tsao.
According to the judgment, Low reacted by posting threats and abuse directed at the singer, her family, and her agent.
In one Facebook post, she wrote: 'I can be very aggressive. The more stubborn she is... don't blame me for whatever I do to her parents.'
In another, she said: 'Blocking me, see how I slowly let her agent die.'
The online threats eventually drove both Tsao and her agent to leave their residences in New Taipei City out of fear for their safety.
The situation intensified in February when Low followed Tsao to Banqiao high-speed rail station after learning the singer was travelling.
She grabbed Tsao's luggage and phone in an attempt to pressure her into restoring contact.
In a video recorded by Tsao, Low is seen physically blocking her and demanding a reconciliation until police intervened.
The court sentenced Low to six months in prison.
She may choose to pay a commuted fine of NT$1,000 (S$43) per day of her sentence, but the court noted that her high salary as a Singaporean — reportedly more than twice that of a typical Taiwanese worker — meant a financial penalty alone would not reflect the severity of her actions.
Low will be deported once she serves her sentence or pays the full fine.
Tsao, 38, responded to the verdict in a June 11 post on social media, saying: 'This is the most comforting piece of news I have received recently,' and thanked her supporters and legal team for their help.
Better known by her Chinese name Tsao Ya-wen, the singer performs primarily in Taiwanese Hokkien and won the Best Female Taiwanese Singer award at the Golden Melody Awards in 2021.
She has previously spoken about feeling 'helpless and uncomfortable' when fans crossed personal boundaries, though she did not identify individuals at the time.