Pinay teen who went TikTok viral over a bag addresses accusation of pretending to be poor

After going TikTok viral over her excitement for a Charles & Keith bag, Singapore-based Filipina teenager Zoe Gabriel once again trended on social media after netizens accused her family of pretending to be poor.

One of the posts that caught attention on social media was from Facebook user Elaine Song, who wrote a lengthy post following Zoe's fame, including her observation of Zoe's family and her father being a mechanical engineer.

"It is important for the public, especially Singaporeans, to be aware of the various types of scammers, liars, and attention seekers who use fake sob stories on social media to manipulate the emotions of others," Elaine wrote.

On TikTok, Zoe posted a video with her father, Donny Gabriel, addressing the issues circulating online, along with an official statement.

"The truth has always been out from the beginning—there were never any 'dirty little secrets,'" Zoe wrote.

"While we are offended, deeply hurt, and affected [by] all these wrongful and false accusations, we choose to stay true to who we are. We choose to understand others and be kind. We choose to be peacemakers and avoid contention," she added.

Zoe then extended their family's appreciation for everyone who has expressed their support.

In the video, Donny stood by the statement that their family is not wealthy.

"We are not rich, but we definitely have enough for our needs. For everything else, we prepare for it, work hard for it, and save up for it," Donny said.

"And we've also definitely come such a long way from when we first moved [in Singapore] 13 years ago, and it's all thanks to my dad and his hard work," Zoe added.

In January, Zoe went viral for her classy response to haters who mocked her on TikTok for calling Charles & Keith a luxury brand.

The issue caused heated arguments among netizens, with some saying that luxury is subjective and differs between people.

A few days later, Zoe was invited to visit the Charles & Keith headquarters in Singapore and received two renditions of the brand's iconic Gabine bag made especially for her.

In March, Zoe was introduced as a Charles & Keith brand ambassador and landed several more brand endorsements, including AirAsia.

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—Hermes Joy Tunac/MGP, GMA Integrated News