Czarina Faith Abuso

The F4 Phenomenon: F4 goes their separate ways

Article (news)

Jemuel Tandoc

Push Team

<div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782557163809F4-Part02.png" style="width:660px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>After years of dominating the Asian entertainment scene, F4 quietly entered a hiatus following the release of their third album, <em>Waiting for You</em>, in 2007, with the members eventually pursuing separate careers.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/2/3/what-has-happened-to-the-original-f4-after-meteor-garden-2028" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ: What has happened to the original F4 after Meteor Garden?</strong></a></div><p>Years after the group&#x27;s hiatus, Jerry Yan and Van Ness Wu opened up about what led to F4 going their separate ways during a rare joint appearance on the Chinese talk show<em> Welcome Back To Sound </em>in 2022.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1093" height="615" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sr_fh9rmk8g" title="【抢先看】 言承旭吴建豪深夜谈心 聊与朋友见面的重要性《朋友请听好2》Welcome Back to Sound S2 EP3丨MangoTV" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Looking back, Van Ness admitted that personal differences among the members eventually took a toll on the group.</p><p>&quot;If we really had a sense of security at that time and trusted each other, I think things might be different now,&quot; he said.</p><p>He went on to reveal that the members &quot;were not particularly happy in the end,&quot; citing feelings of jealousy and unfairness. Wu also confessed that he felt a sense of relief when the group eventually split, saying, &quot;It was time.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Jerry Yan</strong></div><p>After the group’s disbandment, each F4 member focused on building his own career while also navigating life beyond the phenomenon.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1093" height="615" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_XuUpCY23M4" title="Count Your Lucky Stars Full Trailer | SEE IT FIRST this February 22 on iWantTFC!" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Jerry Yan continued to make his mark in the acting industry, starring in dramas such as <em>Down with Love </em>and <em>The Forbidden Flower</em>. Years later, he also shared the screen with 2018 <em>Meteor Garden</em> star Shen Yue, who played Shan Cai, in the romantic series <em>Count Your Lucky Stars.</em></p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Vic Chou</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Vic Chou continued to thrive in the acting industry after F4. In 2010, he was recognized as the Most Popular Taiwanese Actor at the Seoul International Drama Awards.</p><p>Among his notable projects are the 2023 film <em>Be with Me</em>, where he portrayed Chun Shan, earning a Best Actor nomination at the Taipei Film Festival; the 2012 film Home, in which he played Su Tai-ying and won Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series at Taiwan&#x27;s Golden Bell Awards in 2013; and the 2018 drama <em>The Flame&#x27;s Daughter</em>, where his role as Yin Xue earned him a Huading Award nomination.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1093" height="615" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bHA4J7c8c4I" title="The World Between Us (HBO Asia) | Official Trailer | HBO" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Vic also starred as Ma Yi-sen in the second season of HBO Asia&#x27;s <em>The World Between Us.</em></p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp-_d_YhIbu/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A452700.10000038147%2C%22ls%22%3A452344.8000011444%2C%22le%22%3A452347.5%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1131" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Outside of showbiz, Vic also found happiness in his personal life. In 2015, he tied the knot with actress Reen Yu after years of dating. The two first met on the set of <em>Black &amp; White</em> in 2009 before confirming their relationship in 2012.</p><p>A year after getting married, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child. They welcomed their daughter, nicknamed &quot;Little Trumpet,&quot; on August 2, 2016.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKFe4N6B1Yj/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A452710.10000038147%2C%22ls%22%3A452344.8000011444%2C%22le%22%3A452347.5%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="834" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Their happy news was even celebrated by fellow F4 member Van Ness Wu, who took to Instagram to congratulate the couple following their pregnancy announcement.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Ken Chu</strong></div><p>M<strong></strong>uch like his former bandmates, Ken Chu continued his acting career following F4&#x27;s disbandment, appearing in projects such as the 2007 Filipino film <em>Batanes</em>, where he played Kao, and the drama <em>Momo Love,</em> in which he portrayed Chen Chi.</p><p>Ken also spent much of the 2010s living in Beijing, China, where he opened an antique shop before eventually closing it later in the decade. In 2014, he also enrolled in the Department of Directing at the Beijing Film Academy</p><p>Outside of his career, Ken married Chinese actress Han Wenwen in Bali, Indonesia, in 2016. The couple first met through the Beijing Film Academy, where Han is an alumna. Their wedding also turned into a mini F4 reunion, with fellow members Jerry and Van Ness in attendance.<strong></strong></p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn8dpudvS47/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A452719.70000076294%2C%22ls%22%3A452344.8000011444%2C%22le%22%3A452347.5%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="881" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>The couple later revealed that they had decided not to have children after Ken was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition that causes widespread pain and fatigue. Ken shared that he did not want to risk passing on a possible genetic predisposition to the condition. While fibromyalgia does not follow a clear pattern of inheritance, research suggests it can run in families.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Van Ness Wu</strong></div><p>After F4 disbanded, Van Ness Wu continued to expand his career beyond acting, focusing heavily on music while still taking on select acting projects. He also served as a judge on <em>Asia&#x27;s Got Talent</em>, further cementing his presence in the Asian entertainment industry.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1093" height="615" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dFbE5SIu-eg" title="Van Ness Shows Off Nunchuck Skills in Unseen Kings of Connexion footage" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Currently signed under Universal Music Taiwan, Van Ness released his first fully English album, <em>Take A Ride</em>, in 2022, paying tribute to his upbringing as an Asian American in Santa Monica, California. He followed it up with another album, <em>Dance Until We Die</em>, in 2025.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-3" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUat-DWj-Fz/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=540&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A453570.20000076294%2C%22ls%22%3A452344.8000011444%2C%22le%22%3A452347.5%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1401" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-3" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>Beyond music, Van Ness also ventured into business. He launched the jewelry label 3.V.O.7, which collaborated with Reebok on a special edition of the Reebok Classic Leather for the sneaker&#x27;s 30th anniversary.</p><p>In 2018, he co-founded the footwear brand xVESSEL with his business partner Leo. The brand&#x27;s GOP LOW sneaker eventually became a hit, with Hypebeast describing it as a &quot;staple silhouette&quot; among sneaker enthusiasts in Asia.</p><p>On the personal front, Vanness married Singaporean socialite Arissa Cheo in 2013. The two first met in California before tying the knot in Newport Beach, with a second wedding celebration held in Singapore. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2018.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Rare Reunions</strong></div><p>Despite going their separate ways, F4 has reunited on several occasions over the years, much to the delight of longtime fans.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1093" height="615" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fVT6Op9L0cY" title="F4 REUNION @ JIANGSU TV SPRING FESTIVAL GALA 2013 HD" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>In 2013, the four members made their first public appearance together since disbanding in 2009 during Jiangsu TV&#x27;s Spring Festival Reunion, where they performed their hit song &quot;Meteor Rain.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/2020/11/1/fresh-scoops/taiwanese-boy-band-f4-virtually-reunites-onstage-1-189420" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>READ:Taiwanese boy band F4 virtually reunites onstage 19 years after ‘Meteor Garden’</strong></a></div><p>Years later, F4 reunited once again for China&#x27;s Jiangsu TV 1001 Night Festival. However, only Van Ness Wu attended the event in person and walked the red carpet, while Jerry Yan, Vic Chou, and Ken Chu appeared through virtual recordings due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.</p><div><iframe width="1093" height="615" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T--M_M2NvhM" title="F4 × MAYDAY &#x27; Meteor Rain &#x27; – 5525 Version Official Stage Video" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Their most recent reunion came as special guests during Mayday&#x27;s #5525 Back To That Day Live Tour. According to Mayday frontman Ashin, it took nearly two years to make the reunion happen. Together, F4 performed their signature hit &quot;Meteor Rain.”</p><p>Following the performance, Ken Chu once again addressed the group&#x27;s relationship during a livestream, reiterating that while F4 continues to reunite for special occasions, the members are not particularly close outside of work.</p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s no need to speculate. We&#x27;re not close. To be honest, our relationship isn&#x27;t that great,” Ken revealed.</p><p>He further explained that although they worked well together during their F4 days, they did not have much in common in their personal lives and admitted that it had been a long time since he last met up with the other three members.</p><p>But those special appearances were not the end of F4&#x27;s long-awaited reunions. This time, Jerry, Vic, and Van Ness reunited for a major international concert tour, but one member was noticeably absent.</p><p>Why wasn&#x27;t Ken Chu part of the reunion? Find out in the final part of this PUSH Saga.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Part 2 of 3</strong></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/6/26/the-f4-phenomenon-how-the-f4-took-asia-by-storm-1956?fbclid=IwY2xjawSsiVFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJ1WHM5eVVzYXVqbERRWlpYc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHtw1rx_rbpUKBPlANcF2UILZWEy6yYXRJ29tldk3ZGXofT9XkJECDyoGxEuo_aem__2AujdxoagvX1O0TwUd3gA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Read part 1: The F4 Phenomenon: How The F4 took Asia by storm</strong></a><strong></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><em>PUSH SAGA is a series focusing on subjects that have captivated audiences. We delve deeper into that fascination each month with new stories.</em></div>

<p>After reaching the peak of their success, F4 eventually went their separate ways as each member pursued his own path. In the second part of this PUSH Saga, we take a look at what led to the group's hiatus and where life took its members next.</p>

After reaching the peak of their success, F4 eventually went their separate ways as each member pursued his own path. In the second part of this PUSH Saga, we take a look at what led to the group's hiatus and where life took its members next.