Quan Yi Fong clears up a long-standing “beautiful misunderstanding”.
In an exclusive interview with Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao yesterday (14 Oct 20), Mediacorp host Quan Yi Fong debunked the long-held belief that daughter Eleanor Lee’s use of the surname “Lee” was to pay homage to her godfather, celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee.
Eleanor Lee is a rising star in China, and is known to be very filial to Quan Yi Fong who had raised her as a single mother. Read about the time she sang a tribute to Quan Yi Fong and “there was not a single dry eye in the room”.
Addy Lee and Quan Yi Fong are famously tight-knit friends in the local entertainment circle, although rumors have erupted that their friendship might now be in question.
The story went that back in 2013, during Eleanor’s 14th birthday party, organized for her by Addy Lee, Eleanor had knelt before Addy Lee to thank him for all that he had done for herself and her mum. Declaring that she would henceforth see him as her godfather, Eleanor said that she would take on his surname “Lee” instead of “Yu” which is her original surname from her estranged birth father actor Peter Yu.
Quan Yi Fong denied the veracity of the narrative above and said that taking the “Lee” surname was actually based on a Fortune teller’s advice.
The Fortune teller had advised that she should give her daughter a “prominent” surname as a stage name. Quan Yi Fong originally wanted Eleanor to take her own surname – “Quan”, but the Fortune teller advised that “Quan” was too heavy a surname, and recommended the surname “Lee” instead. Quan Yi Fong said that she was elated at the recommendation, especially since it was a happy coincidence that it is her good friend cum Eleanor’s godfather, Addy Lee’s surname as well.
Quan Yi Fong added that Eleanor’s surname is still “Yu” on her IC as they did not change it officially.
Quan Yi Fong also said that Addy Lee had taken on Eleanor as his goddaughter right after she was born, and not only at Eleanor’s 14th birthday, as has been commonly reported.
On why she did not clarify the “misunderstanding” by the press all through the years, Quan Yi Fong explained that she felt it was simply a “beautiful misunderstanding”, and also because she believed that setting the record straight would not be good for Addy Lee.
Lianhe Wanbao had reached out to Addy Lee, but he declined to comment.
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