In a recent development, a lady suing for defamation has obtained access to the influencer’s private chats and diary entries to back up her claims.
Everything you need to know about this high-profile defamation lawsuit is summarised below.
Rachel Wong was accused of cheating on IG Stories.
In December 2020, Olivia Wu uploaded multiple Instagram stories titled “Cheater of 2020,” in which she accused Rachel Wong of cheating.
Don’t worry if you didn’t know who Rachel Wong was until today: I didn’t either. She appears to be a full-time Singaporean social media influencer, with 42,000 Instagram followers.
When the stories were published, Wong was going through annulment proceedings for her marriage to Mr Anders Aplin. The couple’s marriage was short-lived, as they filed for annulment only four months after they married.
Wong then sued Wu for defamation after finding the articles, claiming that they had harmed her reputation, standing, and esteem.
Furthermore, as a full-time social media influencer, she was reliant on her social media reputation and image to secure commercial opportunities and collaborations. As a result of this predicament, her income suffered.
Correspondence and diary entries were requested.
Wu requested access to numerous correspondences and diary entries to buttress her case that her stories were factual.
She was looking for correspondence between Wong and her gym trainer, Mr Han. The timeline she supplied ranged from when she was dating Mr Aplin until April 2020, when the pair filed for annulment.
She also sought Wong’s contact with Mr Wan, the master of ceremonies for the couple’s December 2019 wedding. This was from the start of her connection with Mr Aplin to the date she filed a lawsuit against Wu on August 27, 2021.
Wu also requested access to Wong’s journal entries relating to Mr Wan, dating from the start of her connection with Mr Aplin until August 27, 2021.
“Fishing Expedition” or Documents Required?
Clarence Lun of Fervent Chambers, Wong’s lawyer, argued that Wu should not have access to these documents. He called it a “fishing expedition,” implying that he was invading Wong’s privacy.
Wong’s objections were overruled by State Courts deputy registrar Lewis Tan, who granted Wu’s application for the materials. He stated that the documents sought were important because they would help determine whether the stories were true.
The court narrowed the discovery order to ensure that only the necessary papers were disclosed.
Wong’s correspondence with Han from June 2016 to June 2020, Wong’s correspondence with Wan from June 2018 to June 2020, and Wan’s diary entries from June 2018 to June 2020.
“While we are dissatisfied with the verdict, we trust and respect the outcome and the appeal process and will leave the honourable court to make its appropriate findings and ascertain the facts of the situation,” Wong said in response.
