Michelle Ye's Tough Love From Father?

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Many people may know that Michelle Ye (葉璇) entered the entertainment industry after winning the Miss Chinese International beauty pageant at the age of 19, and that she has since developed into a successful actress and producer. Since her father is a successful businessman, some might even assume that her success is due to his unwavering monetary support. In a recent appearance on the talk show Up Close <非常靜距離>, however, Michelle shared about her difficulties growing up in the United States, especially under the apathetic care of her father.

After Michelle’s parents divorced when she was nine, her father brought her to live with him in New York. Four years later, she moved out of the house, with no support from her father apart from $500 USD each month for her living expenses, half of which she had to fork over for rent.

“My father lived in a top-quality apartment in Manhattan, but he didn’t look after me,” she revealed. “When I was thirteen, I was already living in Brooklyn, which is mostly populated by blacks.” Michelle shared an apartment with multiple tenants.

Since Brooklyn is known for its high crime rate, the hostess of Up Close was shocked and wondered how any father could allow his daughter to live in such a dangerous area. Michelle replied, “You’d have to ask him. I think of it as if he were toughening me up.”

Although her response seems matter-of-fact, Michelle betrayed a hint of sadness when she shared that her father never visited her after she moved out, except when he gave her money each month. She recalled, “When I moved out, I asked if he wanted my address or telephone number, but he said there was no need.”

Her father’s tough-love approach, however, appears to have sparked an independence and thirst for success that have proved invaluable in Michelle’s later life. She shared that, in order to win the approval of others, she vowed to become number one in whatever she did. When in school, she often achieved the highest scores, which ultimately led to her becoming valedictorian of her high school. Her decision to participate in the Miss Chinese International competition also stemmed from her desire to gain her father’s approval.

Michelle’s diligence has carried on to her career in the entertainment industry. Although other stars might settle for a thriving acting career, she chose to establish her own production company in early 2011 as well. Moreover, she serves as the Vice President of the Hengdian Film Association and the Chairwoman of the Zhejiang Dongyang Bohai Entertainment Company.

Currently, Michelle is thriving as both an actress and a producer. Her recent drama, The Purple Hairpin <紫釵奇緣>, which reunited her with rumored ex-boyfriend Raymond Lam (林峯), was well received, and she is set to appear in upcoming series like Pandora’s Secret <潘多拉的秘密> and The Virtuous Queen of Han <大漢賢后衛子夫>. Although she expressed that she envied Raymond’s success in both work and love, she acknowledged that her current focus should be on making money, in order to bolster the reputation of her relatively new production company. The path to further success may not be easy for Michelle, but she has proven that she is tough enough to break through any setbacks and get where she wants to be.



Creds: 3 Weekly