9 inspiring quotes from Asian celebs who are single mums

Being a parent is hard, and it’s even tougher when you’re a single parent. Ahead, we’ve put together a list of single celeb mums who have inspired us with their strength and grace – like Korean-Australian twin sisters and YouTube darlings Janice and Sonia Lee.

The Lee twins perform cover songs together as “Jayesslee” on YouTube. In a recent Instagram post, Janice confessed that her five-year-old son Conor was “born out of wedlock”.

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“I post this today as a single mum. I couldn’t find the words to articulate my stance on the situation, that I was remorseful for what I had done yet unapologetic for Conor’s life,” she revealed.

Janice, who is separated from her now ex-husband Lee Sung Ho, opened up in an emotional Instagram Live that it had taken her four years to come to terms with being a single mum. She even thought about suicide until her younger twin, Sonia, who is also a single mother talked her out of it. 

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Sometimes it’s easy to forget that celebs deal with some of the challenges that everyday parents face. It can be helpful to hear empowering advice and reflections from women going through similar experiences. Below, 9 inspiring single mum quotes from Asian celebs.

1. Kim Lim

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Socialite Kim Lim became a mum in 2017 but in 2019 she announced that she was separating with her little boy Kyden’s father, Kho Bin Kai. A lot of times people decide to stay back in marriages for the sake of their kids, but Kim is a perfect example that you don’t need to compromise your personal happiness to do that.

“Rather than trying to survive in an unhappy marriage, it is better to give each other the freedom they yearn for,” she told ICON in 2020. Kim has since raised her son as a single mother, though she maintains an amicable relationship with her ex. “Though we can’t be husband and wife, he is still my son’s father. A very responsible father at that,” she added.

2. Jacelyn Tay

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Media personality and health coach Jacelyn Tay married businessman Brian Wong in 2010, and after eight years together, they separated in November 2018. Jacelyn and Brian share a nine-year-old son Zavier together. Jacelyn announced the split on Instagram,

“I do not think I owe anyone the reason for divorce except to my son. Even if you guys know, you can’t help or change anything for us,” she wrote. Zavier is top priority for the pair, and both have remained cordial despite the divorce. Of the experience, Jacelyn told CNA Luxury, “If I didn’t get married, I wouldn’t have had a beautiful son. How can I say all these were bad decisions?…

Whether you call it a good or bad decision, there’s always something good that comes out of it. Something beautiful, something to learn from. And that becomes a part of me, an experience I can share with people.”

3. Jaime Teo

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Local media personality Jaime Teo has been fully committed to raising her 11-year-old daughter Renee, whom she shares with former radio DJ Daniel Ong. In a 2018 interview with Smart Parents, Jaime got real about the reality of co-parenting.

“Well, the good thing is that he (Daniel) does the things with her that I don’t like, like swimming and searching for creepy crawlies. The biggest challenge would be ensuring that we both are up to date with her schoolwork.

We try as much as possible to be on the same page for major things, but I guess there are always areas where we have to agree to disagree. In those times, I hope Renee will be able to discern the difference and know how to adapt when she’s in different homes,” she said.

ALSO READ: 'As long as I work hard, I can give my son the best life': Jade Rasif shares why she was not worried about being a single mum

4. Wong Li Lin

Media personality and businesswoman Wong Li Lin loves being a mum to her two kids — Sage and Jonas — whom she shares with her ex-husband Allan Wu. The 48-year-old opened up about her struggles in a honest and revealing 2016 op-ed in Today.

“And what’s that like, categorical single parents are often asked. Three words. Darn hard work.It is hard work because one, there is no option to pass the buck in one’s day-to-day. Taking care of human units other than yourself demands effort and time.

Time and financial management requires acute attention. Memory gets tested. You feel like a pigeon when you might have been a statue on another occasion,” she wrote.

But once Li Lin realised all things she was stressing were out of her control, she resolved to change course, “Most importantly, I had to be very mindful about feeling limited to, or defined by my situation. I was aware that making my situation a ‘problem’ only feeds the ego.

So it was important to develop another frame of mind and to support this awareness with acceptance of my situation. Accepting means I allow myself to feel whatever it is I am feeling at that moment. And then taking the next small step forward.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

5. Fish Leong

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Malaysian singer Fish Leong became a single mum when she and former husband Tony Chao split in 2019. When Fish ended her nine-year marriage, it wasn’t an easy experience. As she told Apple Daily in 2020, “I cried for a long time. It hurt when I heard a melody or certain lyrics, or when I saw couples who are loving.

I felt so lonely and pitiful… (psychologist) encouraged me and helped me analyse and accept my decision. (She told me) not to put the blame on any aspect but to solve things as they come,” she recalled. With the support of friends, counselling and seeking solace in religion, the single mum to 7-year-old Anderson was able to pull herself out of depression.

Today, Fish and her ex-husband are co-parenting pros. In fact, they attended Anderson’s kindergarten graduation ceremony together in July last year. That’s one strong and graceful single mum!

6. Cecilia Cheung

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While Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung’s fairytale wedding didn’t have a happily-ever-after, she did come out of her divorce with fellow actor Nicolas Tse with two sons — Lucas, 13 and Quintus, 10.

Judging from her 2019 Middle Me interview, co-parenting certainly hasn’t tarnished her experience as a mother. Ever the optimist, the “King of Comedy” starlet shared that she doesn’t mind making sacrifices to look after her children if it meant that they will take care of her in 10 years time.

“If you want something, you have to let go of something…I wouldn’t have such three cute children if I focused on making money and reaching the height of my career,” she said.

ALSO READ: How this single mum of 4 became a super successful businesswoman in Singapore

7. Shirley Yeung

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Shirley Yeung has a nine-year-old daughter with her ex-boyfriend and Hong Kong team diver Andy Ng. Miss Hong Kong 2001 winner and TVB actress Shirley Yeung doesn’t think you need to be part of a traditional nuclear family to be a good parent.

“I don’t think that it was a wrong decision, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to relationships. It may be that my journey to find love wasn’t that smooth-sailing. But I wouldn’t limit myself, I can’t do anything just because I’m a single parent.

I can still have a good family, do the things I like. I won’t let the words of others drown me. After becoming a mother, I became a superwoman. My first priority is to take care of my child, everything else became unimportant,” she said in a 2020 appearance on the talk show “Courageously”.

8. Oh Yoon-ah

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Korean actress Oh Yoon-ah had her son, Song Min, in 2007, when she was married to advertising executive Song Hoon. The pair called it quits in 2015. Yoon-ah’s son, Song Min, now 14, has autism.

In an interview with Naver, the down-to-earth single mother spoke honestly about the challenges. “Due to my busy schedule, I’ve always felt guilty towards my son. I never thought of myself as a good mother.

As my son gets older, he spends more time at school. When we’re together, I do the best I can and shower him with all my love.” But while life with Song Min has its challenges, the actress explained in a 2020 interview with The Big Issue that she wouldn’t want him any other way, adding that she hopes more people will show more kindness to children with autism.

9. Sayuri Fujita

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South Korea-based Japanese entertainer Sayuri defied Asian norms when she became a single mother by choice in November last year. Her decision to get pregnant through a sperm bank in Japan (as it is illegal in South Korea for a single woman to do so) thrust the legal issues of sperm donation in Korea back into the spotlight.

Sayuri and her son will be appearing on popular Korean variety show “The Return of Superman” that typically shows how celebrity fathers deal with parenting for 48 hours.

Despite receiving negative backlash for her decision to be a single mother, Sayuri defended her choice in a heartfelt Instagram post, “Becoming a single mother was not an easy decision, but it is also not a shameful decision. I want to thank my son for making me a proud mother.”

ALSO READ: 5 celebrity single mums in Singapore who defy the odds

This article was first published in Her World Online.