Celeb hairstylist Addy Lee loses "thousands" after being pickpocketed in Milan

A work trip to the fashion capital of Milan took a nasty turn for celebrity hairstylist Addy Lee, after his wallet containing thousands of dollars in cash got stolen.

Lee posted on Instagram on Monday: "My wallet with thousands of dollars got stolen by pickpockets in Italy. The wallet also had my passport, credit cards, identity card and ATM cards. I'm penniless."

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His post led to a flurry of concerned messages from friends, including celebrities Mark Lee and actor Cavin Soh.

Ever the jokester even in his friend's hour of need, comedian Mark needled Lee: "Is this for real? I'll go and send over US$5 million immediately", while Soh offered more practical advice, asking him to head over to the Singapore embassy for help.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, calls to Lee's mobile phone went unanswered, but Lee's good friend, TV host Quan Yifeng told the paper that Lee has been in touch.

Quan, whose daughter Eleanor is Lee's god-daughter, said Lee is currently on the way to Rome to get help from the Singapore consulate in the Italian capital. He will also be cutting his trip short to head home to Singapore.

He and two assistants were due to travel to Rome and Paris after Milan for work. They had embarked on their trip just last Friday (March 10).

According to Quan, Lee and his assistants were on a tour of Milan's Duomo cathedral when the incident happened.

Read also: How to outsmart the pickpocket and travel safely

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Lee told her that his wallet was being carried in a backpack by one of assistants. Despite repeatedly telling his assistant to be careful, by the time the three of them were done with the tour, they found the bag's front pocket unzipped and the wallet missing.

Despite her friend's misfortune, Quan couldn't help but see the funny side of the crisis, laughing: "He was so angry! He kept repeating what will he do without credit cards, and added that he's very hungry."

Quan said she was about to wire over some cash yesterday morning, but Lee told her that the three of them managed to pool together "hundreds of Euros", which should be enough to tide them through.

candicec@sph.com.sg