World

Vietnamese Beauty Queen Arrested in Fake Health Gummies Scandal

MAY 20 2025·Updated MAY 21 2025

Story

Above: Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien wears Lacoste outside the Lacoste show during the Womenswear Fall/Winter 2025/2026 as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 9, 2025 in Paris, France. Image credit: Kirstin Sinclair/Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images

The Facts

Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, Miss Grand International 2021, was arrested on May 19, 2025, by Vietnamese authorities for allegedly deceiving consumers through the promotion of Kera Supergreens Gummies, which she claimed contained the equivalent amount of fibre to a plate of vegetables.
CTVNews
BBC News
Laboratory tests, however, revealed that the gummies contained significantly less fiber than advertised, with one sample containing only 16mg of fiber compared to the promised 200mg. The product was also found to contain 35% sorbitol, an ingredient used in laxatives.
Independent
Vietnamnews.Vn
According to Vietnamese authorities, the joint venture between Tien and two other social media influencers, Pham Quang Linh and Hang Du Muc, sold over 135,000 units to roughly 30,000 customers, generating over $655,000 in revenue.
The Straits Times
VnExpress International
Investigators also found that Tien owned a 30% stake in the scheme and actively promoted the gummies across her social media platforms, which at the time had a combined following of nearly 11.5 million people.
Vietnamnews.Vn
The Telegraph
VnExpress International
The three influencers were initially fined in March for failing to disclose sponsored content, with Tien receiving a $960 penalty before the authorities escalated the charges in April.
Independent
VnExpress International
BBC News
As detailed by the Ministry of Public Security, the case has led to multiple separate arrests, including Hang and Linh, as well as two other members of their company, Chi Em Rot, for “deceiving customers” and the chair of Asia Life for “producing counterfeit food products.”
MPS
BBC News

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

These influencers were little more than snake oil salesmen, shamelessly promoting a supplement they knew to be a hoax to con their own fans out of as much money as possible. As such, they and their accomplices face the full weight of the law for deceiving customers and producing counterfeit goods.

MPS

Narrative B

Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien’s situation stems from good intentions gone wrong. As made clear in her testimony, Tien had “good ideas” for the product that came from a genuine desire to help people, but was tragically caught up in a wider scheme.