Tu suffered the injury while filming a reality show last August in Bac Ninh. She was quickly taken to TP HCM for treatment. Doctors diagnosed a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, a torn meniscus, and a posterior bone bruise, requiring surgery.

"I've never experienced such terrible pain. The surgery involved anesthesia to reconstruct the ligament and trim the cartilage for the meniscus. The operation lasted more than 4 hours, but fortunately, everything went well," she said.

Minh Tu in her hospital bed after surgery. Photo courtesy of Minh Tu.

Minh Tu in her hospital bed after surgery. Photo courtesy of Minh Tu.

Tu overcame her fears thanks to her husband, Christopher, who was always by her side. "My husband took care of every meal and ensured I slept well. He helped me with personal tasks right in the hospital bed because I couldn't walk on my own at the time," the model said. Christopher also put some of his work on hold to focus on caring for his wife.

Christopher taking care of Minh Tu after her ligament surgery. Video courtesy of Minh Tu.

After three days, Tu was discharged and went home to recover. Every day, Chris prepared soups and salmon dishes to help his wife regain her strength. He tried to create a cheerful atmosphere at home with jokes and playful banter. During this time, Tu's mother also stayed with them to support her son-in-law.

Tu is now undergoing physiotherapy and rehabilitation, which is expected to last several months. Her husband takes her to a rehabilitation center three times a week to train with a specialist. The rest of the time, she exercises at home following the specialist's instructions, moving gently with crutches.

The model said she has put many work commitments on hold and apologized to partners for contracts she had already signed. When the accident happened, Tu worried that the leg injury might affect her modeling career. However, the doctor said that as long as she perseveres with her exercises, she has a good chance of returning to the runway.

Minh Tu, 33, from TP HCM, won the silver prize at Vietnam Supermodel 2013. In 2017, she was the runner-up in Asia's Next Top Model, became a coach on The Face Vietnam, and a judge on The Look Vietnam. In 2018, she won the title of Miss Supranational Asia. In 2020, she was a coach on Asia's Next Top Model. Tu has also ventured into acting, appearing in films such as Miss Gangster (2019), Dad, I'm Sorry (2021), and The Lover (2022).

Christopher, 10 years older than Tu, is a businessman who works in several Asian countries. They met 12 years ago and held their wedding ceremony in 4/2024.

Tan Cao

Photos, video: Provided by the subject