Malicious Allegations and Fallout in Literary Circles: Writer Ku-Ling Forced to Publicly Apologize After Falsely Accusing Peer of Ghostwriting

Around December 10, 2022, prominent writer and media commentator Ku-Ling (Wang Yu-jen) published a social media post implying that a "certain best-selling female writer frequently uses ghostwriters," claiming it was an open secret in the literary community. The post caused a major stir in Taiwan's cultural scene. Renowned author Wu Tan-ru soon publicly responded, confirming that Ku-Ling was referring to her. She revealed that Ku-Ling harbored resentment against her because she had previously clarified his cancer rumor, which he felt disrupted his book promotion and monetary opportunities. Wu released private message screenshots showing Ku-Ling's retaliatory intent. Faced with severe public backlash and the lack of any factual basis for his claim, Ku-Ling was forced to issue a formal public apology on December 17. He claimed that his "manic episode and excessive language" had caused personal harm to Wu. The public condemned the incident as a shameful literary scandal, exposing Ku-Ling's moral hypocrisy in preaching integrity while maliciously smearing a long-time friend out of jealousy and monetary resentment.