From ‘cougars’ to keepers? 4 Vietnamese showbiz queens dating and married to much younger men, from Star Wars actress Veronica Ngo and CEO Huy Tran, to Le Quyen and Lam Bao Chau

Aug 23 , 2021

Vietnamese Celebrity Cougar Couples. Photo: @mytam_singer/ Instagram, @kieuminhtuan/ Facebook, @khanhthiphanhien/ Instagram

While the West has ‘cougars’, Vietnam has ‘old lady planes’ – which originates from the Cessna L-19 observation aircraft that the US Army used during the Vietnam war

Queen of Vietnamese bolero music Le Quyen, Living with Mother-in-Law actor Anh Dung and other stars have stayed strong in their relationships – despite the Facebook haters

While the West has “cougars”, Vietnam has “old lady planes”. The dubious term is derived from, of all places, the Cessna L-19 observation aircraft that the US Army used during the Vietnam war. And in relationships between older women and younger men, the younger partners would be dubbed “pilots”.

Despite the lingering presence of such old-fashioned – and, uh, can we say insulting? – nicknames, relationships between older female celebrities and their younger male counterparts are slowly becoming more common. (And, let’s be real, older women can often be quite the catch – not despite their age, but because of it!)

In Vietnam, such relationships might still attract odd looks, but some couples have decided to ignore the haters and stay true to their hearts.

So just who are these famous celebrity couples with over a decade’s age difference between them?

Le Quyen and Lam Bao Chau: 12 year age gap

Le Quyen and Lam Bao Chau. Photo: @lambaochau_/Instagram

Fans follow 40-year-old queen of Vietnamese bolero music Le Quyen, and 28-year-old model and actor Lam Bao Chau’s every movement on social media. The celebrity duo frequently shares romantic photos and earlier this year, according to Kenh 14, Le Quyen commented on her relationship on her Facebook profile, saying, “We are private, not secret. Cheers!”

Le Quyen met Lam, a new face in the entertainment industry, over a year ago when they appeared in a TV commercial together, according to VietnamNet. As Le Quyen was in the middle of a divorce then, the timing of her relationship with Lam lead many to question whether he was the reason for her split. But according to News Beezer, her 10-year-long marriage showed some cracks long before Lam entered the picture.