'Charles & Keith girl' Zoe Gabriel accused of creating 'fake sob stories' to gain sympathy; she and her dad respond

Life appears to be going well for 17-year-old Zoe Gabriel, ever since a TikTok video of her unboxing a Charles & Keith bag went viral back in January.

She had been mocked by netizens for describing the gift from her dad as "her first luxury bag", but a subsequent video where she spoke tearily about her family's financial situation and the topic of privilege resonated with many.

As a result of the attention her videos garnered, Zoe was invited to model for Charles & Keith, and she was also unveiled as its "brand community ambassador" for their International Women's Day campaign this year.

In March, Zoe was also revealed as the content creator and ambassador for low-cost carrier, AirAsia.

But it seems not everyone is happy with the opportunities that Zoe had been given.

In a video posted to her TikTok account on Monday (April 17), Zoe appeared with her father to "clear the air" over "what's been happening".

 

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While they did not directly address the issue in the clip, it is believed that their response is towards recent allegations made by detractors online, casting doubts on the teenager's purported "disadvantaged family background".

"The truth has always been out from the beginning — there were never any 'dirty little secrets'," read a written statement shown in the video from Zoe and her dad.

"While we are offended, deeply hurt and affected from all these wrongful and false accusations, we choose to stay true to who we are. We choose to understand others and be kind. We choose to be peacemakers and avoid contention."

The brief statement ended with the pair stating their appreciation for supporters, "especially during this difficult time".

Speaking to the camera, Zoe's dad Donny added: "We have shared in our interviews that we are not rich, but we definitely we have enough for our needs."

"For everything else, we prepare for it, we work hard for it and we save up for it," he continued.

Chiming in, Zoe shared that they've "come such a long way" from when they first moved to Singapore 13 years ago, giving credit to her dad for his "hard work", to which Donny was quick to add, "and mum".

"Hope that clears up any of your concerns," Zoe concluded.

'Not as poor as she makes herself out to be'

The video response comes after several Facebook users voiced their suspicions last week that Zoe, who moved to Singapore with her family in 2010, "is not as poor as she makes herself out to be".

One detractor wrote: "How many of us can afford to homeschool our kids? Don't be hoodwinked by her."

"Using a disadvantaged family background is an effective way to elicit sympathy from people, and she appears to frequently use this method," alleged another netizen in a lengthy Facebook post, which also accused Zoe of being "emotionally manipulative" and her father, "a financially negligent parent".

The users also dug out information pertaining to Zoe's dad, with regard to his job as a mechanical engineer, which they claimed supported their belief that Zoe is not from a low-income family.

The controversial views have also sparked fierce debate online.

One Facebook user gave his take on the issue, emphasising that "being poor doesn't always mean low-income… foreigners pay a lot".

The netizen, who identified himself as a Filipino living in Singapore, added in the caption: "There are four kids in [their] family… after paying rent, school fees, and all other living expenses, etc, there's not much left for extra."

Another netizen who came to Zoe's defence, stated that the claims made are "truly wrong".

"I never heard of Zoe 'coming from a poor family' nor she was pretending to be 'poor person'." 

Commenters on Zoe's video too, have been largely supportive, advising Zoe to ignore the haters.

One netizen noted that "just because her family was struggling back then, doesn't mean they need to struggle until today".

Others agreed that not being poor doesn't mean that one is rich.

candicecai@asiaone.com