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Influencer Naomi Neo reveals she was adopted

Singapore influencer Naomi Neo reveals she was adopted by her parents. (PHOTO: YouTube screenshot)
Singapore influencer Naomi Neo reveals she was adopted by her parents. (PHOTO: YouTube screenshot)

(Updated)

Singaporean influencer Naomi Neo revealed on her YouTube channel on Tuesday (25 January) that she is an adopted child. In her almost 20-minute documentary, Neo said she had her suspicions since young as her parents were uncertain about her blood type, and her birth certificate indicated that she was born in China. Her parents later disclosed that they had trouble conceiving. It was during a leisure trip to China that they discovered a little girl (Neo) was up for adoption due to China's one-child policy. However, her parents have never thought of Neo as an adopted child and have loved her as their own.

Neo last opened up to Quan Yifeng on 3 December 2021, in the latest two episodes of Mediacorp talk show Hear U Out, about her younger days. Her youth was nothing short of insecurities and rebelling, which included losing her virginity when she was under 16.

“I was naive when I started attending secondary school,” Neo confessed. “After dating for some time, he kept asking me if we could be more intimate. I was very scared and at a loss. I believed that if I didn’t give in to him, he might leave me.”

Neo revealed that she decided to get intimate with her then-boyfriend after discussing with a close girlfriend, who lied that she had “done it with someone” and assured her that she would be fine.

Naomi Neo (left) opened up to Quan Yifeng in the latest two episodes of Mediacorp talk show Hear U Out about her younger days. (Screenshot: meWATCH)
Naomi Neo (left) opened up to Quan Yifeng in the latest two episodes of Mediacorp talk show Hear U Out about her younger days. (Screenshot: meWATCH)

The incident later blew up when Neo’s parents became suspicious after her boyfriend accidentally broke the gate lock while sneaking into their house. She “got flustered and owned up” when they threatened to bring her “to hospital for a check-up.” Eventually, the police got involved when her father wanted to transfer her to another school.

“When the principal asked him (Neo's father) why he wanted to do that, he had no choice but to tell the truth,” she explained. “The principal said she was duty-bound to call the police, or we could call the police ourselves. My father chose to inform the police personally.”

After the underage sex incident, Neo’s relationship with her parents started to drift apart. During her rebellious phase, she not only argued with them and lied to them, but also got some tattoos, which are regarded as taboo in traditional Chinese families.

When Neo showed her first tattoo, which is on her left wrist, to Quan, it became apparent that she had even self-mutilated before. She disclosed that she was depressed for a period and cut herself to lessen her misery, which she admitted was a wrong coping method.

“I didn’t realise then that hurting myself would also hurt my parents,” Neo reflected.

Her relationship with her parents only improved after Neo got married and had children. Although they don’t mention it, she knew that her parents love her a lot and are also very proud of her. After reading heartwarming, handwritten letters from her parents, Neo’s eyes began to well up with unstoppable tears.

Check out the full episodes on meWATCH and YouTube.

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This article was published on 6 December 2021.

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