Charles & Keith TikToker 'deeply hurt' by claims she used 'fake sob stories' for attention
Teen TikToker Zoe Gabriel, who gained viral fame as the Charles & Keith "bag girl", has posted a video with her father "to address what's been happening and to sort of clear the air".
This comes after online allegations that they are not as poor as they claimed to be.
Facebook user Elaine Song said: "According to Zula, she dropped out of Secondary 2 education in Singapore, citing her father's inability to afford the school fees. However, if her father is truly financially unstable, it would be unlikely for him to have been able to work and live in Singapore for so many years, as well as bringing his children from the Philippines to live with him here."
She added: "Using a disadvantaged family background is an effective way to elicit sympathy from people, and she appears to frequently use this method."
It was also highlighted that Zoe's father, Donny Gabriel, is a mechanical engineer.
"Donny's work experience indicates that Zoe's repeated claims of poverty may not be entirely accurate, and this supports my previous comment regarding Zoe," said the Facebook user.
"It is quite surprising that Donny would allow his daughter to misrepresent their financial situation to the public. 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."
In the TikTok video uploaded on Sunday, the Gabriels posted a statement that said: "The truth has always been out from the beginning - there were never any 'dirty little secrets'.
"While we are offended, deeply hurt and affected from 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."
@zohtaco ?
♬ original sound - zoe ?
Others have also come to their defence.
Facebook user Jean Basil Regala said: "I never heard of Zoe 'coming from a poor family' nor was she pretending to be 'poor person'. Her family moved to SG to earn a living."
Since going viral after she was shamed for calling a Charles & Keith tote a "luxury" bag in January, Zoe has modelled for the brand's International Women’s Day campaign and starred in TikTok videos for AirAsia.
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