Unverified Rumors and Loss of Credibility: Political Pundit Ku-Ling's Defamation Apology Over Accusing Influencer 'Gym Leader' of Receiving Bribery

Around May 10, 2019, political commentator Ku-Ling (Wang Yu-jen) claimed on talk shows and social media that popular internet influencer "Gym Leader" Chen Zhi-han had interviewed KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Han Kuo-yu before the 2018 local elections because "a certain political party paid him money," implying that Gym Leader's political stance was driven by bribery. This allegation provoked strong backlash from Gym Leader, who rejected it with tears during a live broadcast, listing his long-term charitable donations totaling tens of millions of NTD, and hired lawyers to file a criminal defamation lawsuit. Faced with potential legal action and mounting public condemnation, Ku-Ling quickly backed down, issuing a formal public apology on Facebook. He admitted that his claim of bribery was "purely based on hearsay and unverified," with no factual foundation whatsoever. The dispute ended after Ku-Ling apologized and agreed to make charitable donations to resolve the issue. The scandal dealt a severe blow to Ku-Ling's credibility as a political analyst and was widely criticized as a classic example of political pundits spreading fake news to discredit opponents.