How well do you know Taiwanese star, Ella Chen?

Ella Chen almost didn't become the singer we know today if it wasn't for her sister. In 2000, her sister signed her up for the Universal 2000 Talent and Beauty Girl Contest organised by HIM International Music. Fazed by the number of competitors, Ella Chen almost gave up if it wasn't for her sister's encouragement.

In the end, Ella Chen did so well in the competition and was matched with Selina Jen and Hebe Tian to form the girl group S.H.E. The group debuted in 2001 with the album Girl's Dorm and later released many iconic Mandopop hits such as Tropical Rain Forest (2002), Super Star (2003) and Don't Wanna Grow Up (2005), just to name a few. They have also been reported to sell over 10 million albums and are among the most recognisable Chinese-language girl groups from the 2000s. Their music has also been awarded multiple awards including the Golden Melody Awards.

Fun fact: Ella Chen's prior stage name was Water, Hebe was Anita while Selina was Cola. Fortunately, they didn't stick to them.

After 17 years, S.H.E called it quits with their label company HIM International Music in 2018. Each of the three members went on to their separate ways to form their own management agencies to focus on solo activities (which they've done since 2010). The trio remains great friends as ever as they continue to hang out and update fans whenever they do.

On her own, Ella Chen isn't doing too shabbily though. The entertainment company that manages her is actually co-owned by her. In 2015, she also released her own solo album Why Not and has a plethora of singles and collabs under her belt.

Besides music, Ella Chen has also carved out a successful acting and hosting career on her own. Some dramas and films you might remember her in include The Rose (2003), Hanazakarino Kimitachihe (2006) with Wu Chun and Jiro Wang, Down With Love (2010) opposite Jerry Yan and Bad Girls (2012) with Mike He.

On the variety show side, Ella Chen has been seen on Produce 101 (2018), Produce Camp 2019 (2019) and Youth With You 2020 (2020).

Her career is reaching new heights

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In May 2023, Ella Chen participated in the fourth iteration of the popular Chinese reality show Sisters Who Make Waves. The show brings together female celebs over 3o to compete with each other to form a girl group.

Alongside Ella Chen in the season include fellow Taiwanese Yuki Hsu and A-Lin as well as Chinese host Xie Na. Past seasons have helped celebs such as Cyndi Wang revive and even bring their careers to new heights.

The same can be said for Ella Chen too. She is reported to be among the highest-paid stars to appear on the show, making $1.2mil yuan or S$230K per episode.

Yet the money she makes on the Chinese reality show is only a drop in the bucket of how much she earns. Ella Chen was reported to land 10 new endorsement deals in 2021 that earned her over TW$100m (S$4.6m). In 2022, she was said to rake in TW$100m (S$4.4m) with ads, concert tours, acting and television appearances.

In 2020, Ella Chen revealed her house to the public to encourage people to #StayHome. As a result, fans got a peek into her S$5 million home in the Neihu district of Taipei. She also owns other properties in Taiwan totalling around S$13 million.

The Neihu home, however, wasn't hers alone. Instead, it was bought together with her husband, Malaysian businessman Alvin Lai. In fact, he is the other co-owner of the label company that manages Ella Chen.

The couple was introduced to each other through mutual friends and only got to know each other better four years in. It was because Ella Chen needed help with English while studying in America that brought them together. The duo got married in 2012 and welcomed their son, nicknamed Jin Bao, in 2017.

Speaking of her son, Ella Chen revealed that she had a difficult pregnancy. She had to deal with severe nausea and cramps for starters and couldn't have a water birth because her cervix was still too thick. She got a natural birth without an epidural in the end. After the baby, whose real name is Daniel, was born, he choked on amniotic fluid and meconium.

Post-delivery wasn't a rosy image too. Ella Chen battled postpartum depression and had painful blocked milk ducts in her breasts. Her bladder and uterus also sagged, causing stress incontinence and bladder prolapse. Recounting all these, Ella Chen stated that she will not have another child anymore.

We know that criticisms can be very harsh, especially when they feel too personal. When Ella Chen first started, she was often remarked for being the "ugliest" member of the girl group S.H.E due to her androgynous looks. Those who remember her then would remember her short haircut and tomboy image.

Ella Chen shared her advice on dealing with haters on an episode of Youth With You 2020 where she was a mentor. "If you are feeling uncomfortable, just block them! Like what I did, just block them! Everyone must have some conscience. Don’t be so cruel because everyone’s heart is made of flesh and [what you say] will hurt. Everyone has a mother and a father, so you don't need to be so cruel."

And because of her tomboy image, Ella Chen was often mistaken to be a lesbian. She even had to deflect rumours that she underwent sex change surgery to become a girl.

Nevertheless, Ella Chen has shown her support for LGBT rights. She was the ambassador of the 3rd Taiwan International Queer Film Festival in 2016 and affirmed that "love knows no bounds, and everyone has the right to choose".

In the #MeToo storm that swept across Taiwan's entertainment industry, Ella Chen revealed that she was a victim of sexual abuse when she was younger. It happened when she was in primary school and said "at that time, I was not sure about it and did not know how to express it."

The perpetrator was a neighbour and the son of her father's friend and took place at their house. "I was sitting on his lap when he suddenly put his hand into my underwear. I screamed and crawled out crying after I realised something was wrong." Ella Chen kept it to herself for years until her sisters shared at a family dinner that they two had also undergone the same situation. "I will not forget about it, but my life will not be on pause because of it either.”

Ella Chen then reiterated the importance of sex education. "We must teach our children how to protect themselves, how to say no bravely and how to respect one another."