{
  "id": 6704926,
  "title": "Kiki Darling addresses past sexual assault conviction after Jack Neo drops him from 'Ah Boys to Firefighters' movie",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/kiki-darling-addresses-past-sexual-assault-conviction-after-jack-neo",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-10T18:32:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/09/kiki-darling-address-sexual-assault/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kiki Darling, whose real name is Hari Kishen Balakrishnan, has addressed his past sexual assault conviction as he was dropped from Jack Neo's upcoming film, \"Ah Boys to Firefighters.\" The 26-year-old actor was revealed to be one of the film's leading men on August 31. However, after the production team became aware of his previous conviction, they announced that he would no longer be part of the production on September 9.\n\nIn a video posted on social media on September 10, Hari admitted to the offense and apologized to the victim and his online community for not disclosing his past earlier. He expressed his intention to take responsibility for his past and remain accountable for his actions moving forward. Hari acknowledged that he took full responsibility for the harm caused to the victim and sought rehabilitation workshops, counseling, and education to move forward as a better person. He also mentioned that he had pursued opportunities to support lesser-privileged communities and build a career in comedy.\n\nHari's statement came after news of his casting in \"Ah Boys to Firefighters\" prompted people close to the project to express their surprise.",
  "summary": "\"I wish I had spoken about this on my own terms before it came to this juncture,\" he said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNA - Singapore",
        "title": "Actor Kiki Darling leaves Ah Boys To Firefighters after past sexual assault conviction surfaces online",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/actor-kiki-darling-leaves-ah-boys-to-firefighters-after-past-sexual",
        "published": "2026-09-10T04:27:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "#SHOWBIZ: Jack Neo drops Kiki Darling from new film over past sexual assault conviction",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/showbiz-jack-neo-drops-kiki-darling-from-new-film-over-past-sexual",
        "published": "2026-09-10T07:00:17.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}