LEA Salonga has finally addressed the viral video in which she appeared to decline some fans’ request to take a photo with her backstage.
The clip, initially shared by Facebook user Cristopher Retokelly Carpila, depicted him and several other fans waiting for Salonga outside her dressing room after a performance of “Here Lies Love” on Broadway.
However, Salonga politely turned down their request, explaining that she couldn’t allow them into her dressing room if they weren’t on the guest list due to security concerns.
She further elaborated that granting their request could potentially lead to others taking advantage of the situation and doing the same.
Expressing his disappointment with the incident, Carpila wrote on Facebook, “If ever naman po na mali kami at wala sa guest list, the fact na andun na kami para lang magpa picture.. pumila at nagbayad ng mahal para sa show, siguro naman po bilang Kapwa PILIPINO at mga FANS eh mabigyan ng kahit konting RESPETO AT KAHIT HINDI NA YAKAPIN OR I BESO ay mapagbigyan na kahit sandaling Magpa PICTURE.”
As of writing, the Facebook clip has already been viewed more than 1.7 million times, and has generated mixed reactions among netizens.
Breaking her silence on the matter, Salonga took to Twitter to explain her side of the story.
“Just a reminder… I have boundaries. Do not cross them. Thank you,” she said in one tweet.
Salonga took to another post to share a video interview in which she elaborated on the reasons behind establishing specific boundaries for herself as an artist.
“My husband constantly reminds, ‘You have fans and you should be grateful and feel blessed that you have them.’ I do, I truly do. But when personal boundaries and space are violated, then how am I supposed to react?” she said in the video.
“I understand if you are gonna have a breakdown in front of me or if you’re gonna ask me for a hug. I may not always want to give a hug because you’re a stranger and I don’t know what your intentions are. There’s also that malay ko kung may kutsilyo kang hawak at baka saksakin mo ako. I think that kind of paranoia is in the mind of a lot of artists. You should rightfully have that,” Salonga added.
As an artist, Salonga said she has the responsibility also to keep herself safe. (ABS-CBN News)
