- In Instagram post, 27-year-old says she is still haunted by scenes of trips to the hospital and emergency ward
- Management company MakerVille, which also oversees boy band Mirror, confirms departure and says it will continue to support group
So Tsz-ching, a member of Cantopop girl band Collar. Photo: InstagramThe girlfriend of a Hong Kong dancer whose horrific injury at a concert last year made headlines has quit her Cantopop band, saying she was so traumatised by the accident that she had been unable to cope with show business.
So Tsz-ching, 27, a member of girl group Collar, on Wednesday announced her exit on social media, revealing the injury suffered by Mo Li Kai-yin after he was crushed by a falling screen had caused trauma that “could not be healed”.
“The scenes of each trip to the accidents and emergency ward and the hospital have been etched into my heart, leaving indelible scars,” So, also known by her stage name So Ching, wrote on Instagram. “Even though there were moments when I faced everyone and went on stage, I have not been able to fully adjust to on-screen work at the moment.
“After much consideration and discussion with the company, I have decided to leave Collar.”
So’s management company MakerVille confirmed her departure, saying it would respect her wishes and make suitable arrangements. MakerVille also manages boy band Mirror, whose concert last July was marred by the accident involving Li, also 27.
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“We wish So Ching all the best in seeking her future direction, and will continue to support Collar to shine on stage and start again with fans,” a spokesman from the management company said.
Collar’s manager Tai Wing declined to reveal the status of So’s contract with the company, only saying that management has been communicating with the star.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Collar’s leader Gao Shum Ching-hau urged the public not to speculate too much about So’s departure and appealed for public support for the group.
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“Even though we would miss her a lot, just like the general public, we have seen her try her best to balance various aspects of her life, including going back onstage. We really hope everyone could give her some space to start anew peacefully,” Shum said.
The leader also revealed that all bandmates were present at their last meeting with So before her departure.
So put her career on hold for five months to care for Li after he suffered a critical spine injury from the incident.
While there were rumours of her possible departure from the group, So rejoined her bandmates this year, when she made her first appearance in months at an industry awards ceremony in January.
She has since been part of the group’s comeback single “The Bright Side”, as well as several advertisement campaigns, both with bandmates and individually.
Li’s father, Reverend Derek Li Shing-lam, has publicly thanked So multiple times for her contribution to his son’s recovery. On the eve of So’s return to work this year, the senior Li described So as “an expert in caring for critically ill patients” on a radio show in December.
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“For instance, if Mo needed to switch positions, she was very familiar with the process and has sufficient strength. Even though she is very thin, she could move Mo in one go,” Li said.
The SCMP learned Li had been transferred to private hospital CUHK Medical Centre in February, after six months of treatment in Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
His father wrote in a prayer made public in February that his son had taken his first step since the accident with the aid of an exoskeleton, an assistive device designed to help paralysed patients walk again.