Ferlyn G Didn’t Dare To Leave The House For 2 Years After Returning From Korea And Was “Scared Of Everything”

Local singer-actress Ferlyn Wong, aka Ferlyn G, 31, debuted as a member of K-pop girl group SKarf in 2012, alongside actress Tasha Low. 

The group, made up of the two Singaporeans, also included two Koreans and one Japanese member. SKarf disbanded in late 2014, with both local stars returning to Singapore to continue their showbiz careers. 

However, the road to achieving success in the local entertainment scene has not been easy for either of them.

Ferlyn recently shared an IG video in collaboration with mental health stigma campaign Beyond The Label, where she talked about her process of looking for help and seeking therapy. She also encouraged others who were facing similar situations to do the same.

In an interview with local newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, Ferlyn shared that though she is now in a good place with her mental health, she used to struggle with depression.

She revealed that she started facing stress with her mental health when she was working in Korea.

“When I was in Korea, I was busy every day. I didn’t have the time to properly understand my emotions, or think about whether I was healthy or not,” she told the paper.

Recalling the time she just returned to Singapore after her two-year stint in Korea, Ferlyn spoke about the feeling of losing her direction in life.

She did not dare to leave her house for two years after returning home.

“I was so afraid in the two years after I came back. I was scared to meet people and to go out. I was scared of everything! I needed money [so] I had to work, but I was scared of being recognised at work. I didn’t know how to explain [my situation] to others,” she said.

The actress described herself as someone who used to have a lot of pride. As such, she was very concerned about what others thought of her. She did not want people to know that she had returned because she had ‘failed’ in her career overseas.

She said: “I gave up everything to pursue my dreams in Korea. I achieved my dream, debuted two albums, and performed on music shows… I didn’t dare to tell others that I wanted to give up. That was a trying time for me and I became depressed.”

Ferlyn then told Zaobao that she chose to “hide at home” but was unable to open up to her family as well.

“My parents thought I was going back to Korea, but I had already decided to give up,” she said, while revealing that she did not tell her family about the lawsuit she was facing for terminating her contract early with her agency in Korea.

However, with her struggles now behind her, Ferlyn is now back on her feet.

“I feel like I’ve matured. I’m willing to talk to others, and willing to seek help from a therapist. In fact, all the issues that I’ve been [worried about] were small things, after some time, no one would care about it. I was young back then, and too concerned with what others thought [about me],” she said.

Ferlyn’s acting career has been gaining momentum in recent years, having appeared in dramas like Live Your Dreams and Silent Walls. Speaking of the progress she has made in the past year, she told the paper: “My job [as an actress] will probably be my last one!”

Photos: Ferlyn G/ Instagram

Catch Ferlyn in Silent Walls on meWATCH, or watch an episode below.