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When then 27-year-old Fiona Xie left Mediacorp in 2009, she was, quite unquestionably, an A-lister in the local entertainment scene.
Xie, however, did it for love (and out of a certain jadedness for the industry) — she left her career behind to move to Hong Kong with her then-fiancé, an insanely wealthy Australian-American.
The actress spoke extensively about that period of her life to host Quan Yi Fong on the latest episode of the "Hear U Out" talkshow.
In the two years following her departure, the actress led the "tai tai life", a luxurious lifestyle that entailed shopping and dining.
"Tai tai" in this case translates to "lady of leisure", a term synonymous with the rich and privileged.
But things were not as glamorous as they seemed.
Xie revealed that she felt bored and empty, as her days revolved around the same activities of shopping and dining.
She even had bodyguards accompanying her where she went.
This was drastically different from her time in Mediacorp, where assistant producers would hand her a packed schedule for the day.
Xie described herself as a bird in a gilded cage.
Grandmother's death
The couple later moved from Hong Kong to New York, but things took a turn when Xie's grandmother fell gravely ill with lung cancer.
Witnessing her grandmother take her last breath took a toll on Xie, and the actress said that she became a different person altogether.
She never returned to the U.S., leaving all her belongings behind.
Several times throughout the interview, an otherwise bubbly Xie teared up, as did Quan.
Screenshot via MeWATCH
Screenshot via MeWATCH
Xie added that her then-fiancé was "a very very good person" whom she loved deeply, although there were certain incompatibilities when it came to their ideals and the way they communicated.
"Maybe I was in the wrong, cause I shut myself off, and he didn't know how to break down the walls I've put up too," she said.
In other parts of the interview, Xie delved deep into her psyche when it came to relationships, while Quan "psychoanalysed" her.
The actress also talked about how she landed the role of Kitty Pong in "Crazy Rich Asians", as well as her time in Hollywood.
You can watch the latest episode here.
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Top image via MeWATCH