Kiki Darling Apologises Over Past Sexual Assault Conviction, Raising Questions Over Second Chances

Local content creator Kiki Darling has apologised after his past sexual assault conviction resurfaced online, leading to his departure from Jack Neo's upcoming Ah Boys To Firefighters.

Kiki, whose real name is Hari Kishen Balakrishnan, was announced on Aug 31 as one of four new leads selected from more than 1,000 hopefuls.

His conviction resurfaced after content creator S Subhraaj posted about the case on Sept 7.

In 2021, Kiki was sentenced to at least six months of reformative training after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 23-year-old male friend who was heavily intoxicated and almost unconscious.

He had also recorded seven videos of the sexual acts, which he later deleted but were recovered by police.

The production team said it was unaware of his conviction when he was cast.

After the information was verified, Kiki resigned, with his scenes to be removed and the role recast.

His case has also raised questions over how former offenders are received when attempting to rebuild their careers.

Actor Noah Yap, who is returning in Ah Boys To Firefighters, was sentenced to nine months in SAF detention barracks in 2016 for cannabis consumption. His career initially suffered, but Jack Neo later cast him in Ah Boys To Men 4.

Yap has said he expected backlash after speaking publicly about his offence but instead received messages encouraging him to move forward.

The response has been harsher in cases involving sexual offences.

Former Mediacorp actor Ian Fang apologised and asked for a second chance before beginning a 40-month jail sentence for sexual offences involving a 15-year-old girl.

His case continued to draw criticism, including from the victim's father, who said the punishment was insufficient and that his daughter had been permanently affected.