HANOI – Vietnamese authorities have arrested beauty queen and social media influencer Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien on fraud charges after she promoted misleading health claims about Kera Supergreens Gummies, which she falsely advertised as being rich in fibre. According to the Public Security Newspaper, police reported on May 19 that Tien knowingly endorsed the product despite it containing only 0.935 per cent fibre.
Tien, who gained national fame after winning the Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Thailand in 2021, is a highly influential figure in Vietnam and has previously received a certificate of merit from the country’s prime minister. She recently made headlines as the first Vietnamese celebrity to be named a “Friend of the House” by Dior.
Authorities revealed that the gummies were part of a joint business venture between Tien and two other influencers, Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc. The trio promoted the product last December, falsely claiming that each gummy was equivalent to a plate of vegetables in nutritional value.
Investigations found the gummies actually contained 35 per cent sorbitol, a synthetic sweetener with known laxative properties, along with undisclosed additives. Over 135,000 packs of the product were sold to approximately 30,000 customers, generating nearly 18 billion dong (S$890,000). Tien allegedly earned around 7 billion dong in commission from these sales.
The case has sparked public concern in Vietnam over deceptive marketing by online influencers and the regulation of health-related products promoted on social media.