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Vietnam Celeb Cancels 3-City Visit After COVID-19 Hits, Dubbed ‘Bad Luck Brian’ By Netizens

Vũ Khắc Tiệp Dubbed ‘Covid-19 Bad Luck Brian’ By Netizens


Model agent Vũ Khắc Tiệp made a name for himself as the representative of famous model Ngọc Trinh. Yet, ever since the Covid-19 pandemic began, he’s become known under a different name: the “Quarantine Ambassador”. Indeed, the man seems to have a knack for getting himself caught in difficult yet hilarious pandemic-related situations.

When the virus first came to Vietnam, for instance, Vũ Khắc Tiệp was quarantined 3 times in a row through no fault of his own. Since then, there have been multiple other coincidences where cities he visits are immediately hit by Covid-19 afterward.

His latest “Bad Luck Brian” moment was just last Monday. Just hours after the model agent announces a casting event in Hanoi, Đà Nẵng, and Cần Thơ, all 3 cities shut down public activities.


Planned visits to 3 cities that coincidentally banned public events



Image credit: Vũ Khắc Tiệp

Last Monday, Vũ Khắc Tiệp posted on his official Facebook page to draw public attention to a model casting event he planned to hold. He wrote, “Are my friends in Hanoi, Đà Nẵng, and Cần Thơ ready for the casting yet?”

Yet bad ‘luck’ struck again here, as just hours after his status was posted, authorities in all 3 cities announced the cancellation of public activities involving big crowds to prevent COVID-19.


Image credit: Tuổi Trẻ

The incident added another entry to Vũ Khắc Tiệp’s “Quarantine Ambassador” record. Understandably, netizens wasted no time in making a meme out of it.

A popular picture that’s been circulating on the internet over the past couple of days shows a screenshot of Vũ Khắc Tiệp’s status, paired with newspaper headlines reporting the suspension of public activities in Hanoi, Đà Nẵng, and Cần Thơ.


Netizens feature him in hilarious COVID-19 memes



Image credit: Vũ Khắc Tiệp

Vũ Khắc Tiệp himself has addressed the Covid-19-related schedule developments on social media. After the untimely demise of his plans, the model agent posted another status yesterday stating, “Guess I’ll stay put…”


Image credit: Nina Huynh

And again, thousands of netizens have flocked to his post to make quirky comments. Facebook user Nina Huynh joked, “I rarely watch Covid-19 news, because I can tell where it is just by looking at your Facebook.”


Image credit: Thanh Hang Do

Many others wrote, “The government and the country thank you for your contribution to combating the pandemic,” implying that he’s doing everyone a service simply by staying put.


Let us all stay put for now


Commenters thanking Vũ Khắc Tiệp for staying home meant it as a joke, of course, but it actually makes sense. With constant news of COVID-19’s complicated developments being reported in the past few days, it’s best that we all cut down on vacations and gatherings for now.

Vietnam has put Covid-19 under control many times before, and this time won’t be any different, as long as we all do our part.

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Cover image adapted from Vũ Khắc Tiệp (left) and Vũ Khắc Tiệp (right)

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Toan Ngo

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