In response to new developments in the case of fake milk advertising, BTV Quang Minh and Van Hugo both announced that they are working with lawyers to regain their honor and transparency.
Responding to Lao Dong reporter MSc. Le Dinh Quyet - lecturer at Hanoi Law University, senior advisor at LVI Law Firm - said that BTV Quang Minh and Van Hugo have every legal basis to file a lawsuit if they can prove that HIUP milk company has provided false information about the product or legal documents when signing the promotion contract.
"According to Article 428 of the 2015 Civil Code, if the contract signer is deceived, he/she has the right to request to declare the contract invalid. In addition, according to Articles 584 and 589 of the Civil Code, they have the right to request compensation for damages to reputation, honor, costs to remedy the consequences and actual income lost due to the impact of promoting illegal products.
If HIUP creates a fake legal record, intentionally conceals the product as a fake to be promoted by celebrities, advertisers can report or request criminal prosecution for the brand (individual legal representative) for the crime of fraud to appropriate property (Article 174 of the Penal Code 2015, amended in 2017) when suffering financial or reputational and honorary losses," said Mr. Le Dinh Quyet.
Meanwhile, according to the Advertising Law, brands are responsible for ensuring the legality of advertising products and content. If HIUP provides fake products, they violate Clause 3, Article 8 and Article 19 of the Advertising Law, according to the expert.
For Quang Minh and Van Hugo, if they do not verify the origin of information before speaking or advertising the product, they can be considered a breach of their obligation to "guarantee honest information" under Article 17 of this Law.
On the evening of June 19, the Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security prosecuted and temporarily detained many subjects, including the leaders of Z Holding Company - the HIUP powdery milk producer - for the crimes of "Violating accounting regulations causing serious consequences" and "production and trading of counterfeit food products".
Initial results determined that "HIUP 27 nutritional product" and many other types did not ensure the ingredients and nutritional content as stated in the product registration.
Talking to Lao Dong reporter, BTV Quang Minh said that since February 2025, he has stopped advertising HIUP's products: "Until I was administratively sanctioned, I still required them to send the latest testing results so that I could be assured of the quality of the product.
When I heard the news of the company's leaders being arrested, I was very confused. I was forced to protect my image and my family's because I had been scammed for too long. In my advertising contract with them, they clearly state that if there is a violation, they will be fully responsible. Therefore, I decided to file a lawsuit."
Van Hugo also announced that he will work with lawyers to take legal action to protect his honor and personal image.
On April 28, 2025, the Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information issued 02 Decisions to administratively sanction BTV Quang Minh's violations, which must be paid, namely 37.5 million VND and 70 million VND for MC Van Hugo.
Sharing about a series of advertising scandals in showbiz in the first half of 2025, Media expert Le Thom - lecturer at the Academy of Public Administration and Management - said that on the KOL side, it is impossible to take personal responsibility for reputation lightly.
Experts say: "They need to understand that false promotion not only causes consequences for consumers but also erodes their reputation and social trust. A healthy advertising industry cannot only rely on the law, but must be built from the awareness, responsibility and alertness of all stakeholders. This is not just a lesson, but a vital condition for the future of the industry".
