KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Taiwanese singer Elva Hsiao won a suit against a Chinese internet user for spreading the rumour that she was HIV-positive.

A Beijing court ruled that an internet user, surnamed Ho, had defamed the 41-year-old entertainer and sentenced the guilty party to publish an apology for 10 days.

The court also ordered Ho to pay Hsiao 80,000 Yuan (RM49,000) for mental anguish reported China Times.

The defamatory statement was posted in May last year where Ho claimed he had gotten confirmation from Hsiao’s manager.

Hsiao had announced in 2017 that she was taking a temporary break from her career due to stress.

She had previously dismissed rumours that she had suspended her showbiz career due to active treatment for HIV. 

In 2012, Hsiao had reportedly rejected 1MDB-linked financier Jho Low’s proposal that was said to have cost a whopping RM6.6 million.