ENTERTAINER Edison Chen will return to Hong Kong this week to explain the pictures of him with several starlets in compromising situations that have been circulating on the Internet, Sin Chew Daily reported.

Chen's manager confirmed that the singer-actor would return today or tomorrow to meet the press.

The manager declined to say whether Chen had run away because of the scandal, which had dominated headlines in the southern Chinese territory for several weeks.

Hundreds of photos - believed to be of Chen with a string of Hong Kong starlets, including Canto-pop and film star Gillian Chung, actress Cecilia Cheung and former actress Bobo Chan - had been circulating on the Internet.

On Monday, Chung made a brief statement that she was "naive and silly" and added that the incident had tormented and hurt her as well as the people around her.

However, China Press reported that over 50% people have a bad impression of Chung after she made the statement and did not admit her mistake. It also reported that many companies now did not intend to seek Chung's endorsement for their products.

Meanwhile, the daily reported that Cheung and her husband Nicholas Tse have signed a separation agreement after the photos surfaced.

Pictures of him in Hong Kong tabloids have shown him without a wedding ring on his finger, which had previously been seen on his left hand in 2007.

Netizens have also posted blogs to report that Nicholas had a fierce argument with Cecilia, sparking speculations that a divorce would be on the cards.