Karen Mok goes public about her break up in the middle of an emotional concert.

Breaking up is hard to do, but it's even more difficult for celebs. Not only do they have to face mutual friends and family but also legions of fans, reporters and paparazzi who chronicle their every emotion. Maybe this is why celebs usually let managers announce such news. So it was shocking to see Hong Kong superstar Karen Mok announcing her break up in the middle of a recent concert. Without mentioning the name, everyone knew that it was her nine year relationship with actor/director Stephen Fung.

“It’s great to be lovers, but it may be better for us to be friends forever,” Mok told the audience before launching into the sob song “I Always Wanted To Tell You.”

Karen Mok has always been one of my favorite Hong Kong singer/ actresses and is a role model for many 30-something women in Asia. Unlike other Hong Kong actresses who consort with tycoons, real estate developers or gangsters, Mok steers clear of notoriety. Moreover, she is still young and sexy at the age of 37, with a handsome boyfriend and loads of creative energy to express herself.

Back in 1997, Fung was impressed by Karen Mok’s comedic talent in “God of Cookery” where she appeared with ugly bug-teeth and swollen eyes. Later, when Mok had had enough of then boyfriend Stephen Chow’s philandering, heartthrob Fung stepped in.

Fung’s female fans might hate Karen to the bone, but none deny the two are a perfect match. Mok studied in Italy and London and is fluent in five languages. Fung, with two films under his belt, is an up-and-coming talent. So it’s shocking to hear about the break-up, and more shocking that the secret was kept for 10 months.

“There were no other women, no arguments about marriage. It just happened naturally,” Mok told reporters backstage after the concert. But it’s been rumored that Fung is more of a fun-loving guy who's “good friends” with actresses like Shu Qi and Jolin Tsai.

Fung has kept tight-lipped, so maybe it’s too early to judge. But one thing for sure is that diva Karen Mok must survive the crisis. If a strong and talented woman like her can’t survive a break-up, who can?

• Luna Lin