The H'Hen Nie and Quynh Anh Shyn Case: When Vietnamese Stars Make Silly Mistakes and Easily Apologize

In a growing entertainment market, the situation of some Vietnamese artists making silly mistakes is still common, a typical example is the scandal between beauty queen H'Hen Nie and her husband.

When Vietnamese stars make silly mistakes

In just 1 week, Vietnamese showbiz had 3 scandals that forced the main characters to apologize.

Mr. Tuan Khoi - Miss H'Hen Nie's husband used milk stored in his wife's refrigerator to make coffee for the crew and filmed their expressions. This behavior caused a heated debate, especially since these people did not know the ingredients of the milk coffee.

When Tuan Khoi's post received backlash, H'Hen Nie defended him with comments like: "The crew all laughed", "Overseas husbands often do this too", "On days when there is extra milk, you won't have to order cow's milk"... - an act that was no different than "adding fuel to the fire".

As a result, both husband and wife had to post an apology.

Previously, Tuan Khoi was also criticized for creating confusing content such as dressing as a woman, wearing a wig and walking around the house, or showing off his hobby of smelling his child's used diapers.

On the occasion of Halloween, Quynh Anh Shyn and 2 rappers Liu Grace and Saabirose dressed up as Mr. Tho and 2 pupils of a famous milk brand.

Confusing photo set of 3 "Pretty Girls". Photo: FBNV

The photo series was criticized for being offensive and erotic, and the brand was asked to stop using the images and respect intellectual property rights. Quynh Anh Shyn had to remove the photo series and apologize.

Singer Bao Anh also apologized and explained about wearing casual clothes on stage at Ha Long Concert 2025 - a music night honoring the 62-year journey of building and developing Quang Ninh province.

Accordingly, she wore a tight tank top and jeans on the big stage because her performance costume had a technical error right before departure and there was no time to fix it. This explanation was not accepted by the majority of the audience.

Lack of basic professionalism

The common point of the three incidents is that the artists created their own image crisis due to their inappropriate behavior in public spaces.

Specifically, they lack professionalism in managing "optics" - a term that describes how an action, event, or statement appears to the public.

Singer Bao Anh wearing everyday clothes on the big stage caused controversy. Photo: Document

Unprofessionalism is demonstrated by the absence of procedures, responsibilities, standards or moderation before public action results in images being misinterpreted, shocking, breaching contract or offensive.

Another case is the controversial video of singer Ngoc Mai's family checking in to their room during their US tour, which featured an image of the flag of the old Saigon regime.

Because with just the basic operation of reviewing, checking and editing the video before posting, singer Ngoc Mai and her husband could have avoided the biggest crisis of their career, leading to their complete "disappearance" from all stages in their homeland.

Image management (optics) is one of the most basic things one must master when becoming an artist. Because artists are "living brands", every action, word, and outfit is understood as a message and image that influences public perception.

In contrast to artists in developed markets, many Vietnamese artists often make basic, even silly, mistakes in image management.

The series of repeated mistakes and apologies has increasingly frustrated the public.

Miss H'Hen Nie and her husband made a silly mistake. Photo: Document

"Where is the manager that is not stopping?"

Regarding the above issue, Mr. Hong Quang Minh - a media expert and media manager with many years of experience in showbiz - said that when incidents happen, audiences often ask: "Where is the crew? Where is the manager that you didn't mention it?".

Behind those questions lies a greater frustration: Why are public figures with so much access to knowledge, resources, media... so negligent?

That question is not only for managers but also warns the entire professional ecosystem from image builders, stylists, media planners to the artists themselves.

Regarding the silly noise, according to Mr. Minh, there are 3 core reasons:

Firstly, artists lack basic knowledge about society, culture, and media. Some artists are caught up in the work cycle or "success bubble" leading to a loss of feeling about the most basic things; forgetting that public image needs to be nurtured by knowledge, not just singing well or being good-looking.

Without basic image management, the career of singer Ngoc Mai and her husband was ruined. Photo: Document

Second, some crews in Vietnam operate without clear structure and authority. Many artist managers are relatives, close friends, or even "assistant, stylist, driver, and porter".

"Due to the lack of decentralization of responsibility, when a mistake occurs, no one has the authority to prevent it from the beginning, and no one is truly responsible afterward," he said.

Finally, there is the reality that some teams emphasize "cure is better than prevention", meaning that if they make a mistake, they get used to writing an apology, instead of anticipating and preventing it from the beginning.

Proposing a solution, the male expert said that what is needed most is not a large management company or a set of 100 rules, but "a sense of professionalism spread throughout the ecosystem".

Singer Phuong Linh is famous for her wild and outrageous speaking style. Photo: Document

"First of all, it is necessary to clearly separate the roles in the crew: stylist takes care of image, PR takes care of communication, manager takes care of strategy and protects the artist in the long term. When each role is assigned, everyone has rights and responsibilities, then carelessness will be reduced," he said.

Mr. Minh also believes that it is necessary to train artists as "public figures" instead of purely artists and performers.

Finally, the entertainment industry needs to develop standards of practice such as a testing mechanism, at least a basic set of standards, for artist managers.

"In many countries, to do this job, you have to study properly or have a degree or certificate to practice. But in Vietnam, anyone can call themselves a manager if the artist agrees," he said.

Mi Le

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Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/vu-h-hen-nie-quynh-anh-shyn-khi-sao-viet-mac-loi-ngo-ngan-roi-de-dang-xin-loi-2458665.html