The divorce dispute between Chen Hsing-yu, daughter of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian, and her ex-husband Chao Chien-ming has escalated, with each side accusing the other of breaching a confidentiality clause — bad news for both their reputations and those of their families.

• On arriving at Kaohsiung airport from Vietnam, Chao Chien-ming made a lips-sealed gesture to reporters and handed over only the divorce agreement, telling them to read Article 8 for themselves.
• A doctor who described himself as a friend of Chao Chien-ming then published the contents of the agreement online, defending him and saying he could not speak because of the confidentiality clause.
• Chen Hsing-yu hit back, arguing that since it was the other side's relatives and friends who leaked first, they should pay NT$100 million; if both sides sue, the two cancel each other out and it can be left to a judge to decide.
• She also questioned Chao Chien-ming's use of the confidentiality clause as a gag order to cover up his pocketing of the children's education fund, arguing that he could cancel the policy at any time and hand the insurance money to the children.

Outlook: The two sides may well end up suing each other in the near term, moving the divorce dispute from a war of words into the courts.