Fiona Xie breaks her silence: now based and dating someone in Hong KongXin.sg - Wednesday, December 9
It's been five months of hearing everything and anything about Fiona and her disappearance-except from the lady herself. She finally opens up about leaving Singapore, staying in Hong Kong and her boyfriend there
Trust Fiona Xie to be able to make an exit with as much anonymity and aplomb.
The gal has been in Hong Kong since June this year, while the rest of us could only come to sniff her tracks when she (already) vanished without a trace from our shores a month later, with that eleventh-hour pullout from Ch 8 drama Together.
Time continued, the gossip mill worked ceaselessly-churning out theories ranging from a new life as the kept arm-candy of filthy rich tycoon to being knocked up and prepping for motherhood overseas-and the serial debuted on TV last week. Finally now, the buxom belle finally sounds out her controversial move with an interview in 8Days and I-Weekly magazines (now at newsstands this week).
The 27-year-old has officially quit fulltime acting. Residing in Hong Kong for half year, she's been occupied with other work such as "producing photo shoots for an inspiring photographer," and her current boyfriend whom she met (yes, in Hong Kong) while filming Kelvin Tong's supernatural thriller Rule #1 in 2007.
"Quitting was inevitable, and it was only a matter of timing," she says.
Her unceremonious departure from Together was "not because of the script, or the cast or the production of Together." But "there were several intimate scenes in Together," she admits, "which upset my boyfriend, so leaving [the drama] was also a little for his sake."
While she's always been evasive about her love life, Fiona confesses that she "never had a younger lover," revealing only that he is a 23-year-old Australian-American and an art enthusiast. Insider sources, the 8Days' report read, snitch that her beau is incredibly wealthy ("lives like royalty" according to the source) and that Fiona was once accompanied by four bodyguards during a shopping trip.
Describing her beau as "a young lovely blessing from God", she adds that "it isn't so much that he gives me the financial support that enabled me to quit, but the emotional support."
She'll have you know, too, that her head was screwed on right and her wallet well-stuffed when she decided to "[leave] to truly experience life. To get rid of the cocoon and spread my wings," despite a handsome paycheck.
"People though I lost a few marbles when I gave up being paid half a million bucks annually for the sake of freedom. But what's the good of being the best in a place that brings out your worst?"
She "did not feel whole" or in control of her career. "I was doing silly things on TV-slapstick stuff that was frowned upon. Being judged by people and constantly misunderstood truly broke my heart."
During her time in MediaCorp (which she joined since she was 19), the buxomly one was hailed as one of the station's Seven Princesses. "The incessant chatter" that came with the label was something she never took well to. "The bickering and comparisons were so trite. It was frustratingly vapid. I can't even describe the discontentment I was feeling. I was breaking down and even spoke to my pastor about it."
The unhappiness however, hasn't put her off the entertainment circuit lock, stock and barrel. Perhaps it's but a pause button on the trade. She stills does TV projects with the station, such as the food variety programme Singapore Flavours and the upcoming travelogue Lodge With Me premiering in May next year. She also stars in Fist Of Dragon, a Malaysian-China action flick that opens next year. "I'll always harbour smouldering embers for acting, waiting to be reignited by the right script, director, cast and project."
It could be the change of environment, work or her present squeeze, whatever causing it, Fiona is more self-assured than ever, and will probably wear her silenced smile more longer than a while (she penned a poem which is featured in the 8Days report). "Let the industry crown its next queen, whoever that may be. I've already go my own throne, and I'm as happy as I can be."
