Chen Yixin Says Growing Up As Xiang Yun’s Daughter Was Hard: “I Experienced A Lot Of Ostracism”

Ever wondered what your favourite local celebs and personalities are like when the cameras are off, when they’re just regular people navigating everyday family life and parenting?

8days’ first ever chat show DNA sees host Rebecca Lim meeting these stars and their children to learn more about their family dynamics, and what life is really like in and out of the spotlight.

In the first episode — now streaming on YouTube and mewatch — Becks speaks to Mediacorp Ah Jie Xiang Yun, 64, and her daughter, Chen Yixin, 25. 

Xiang Yun was already an established actress when she married then newbie hotshot Edmund Chen in 1989. The couple welcomed their son, Chen Xi, in 1991, and Yixin nine years later. 

While Xiang Yun went on to become one of the most critically acclaimed and prolific actresses in Singapore, Edmund gradually stepped back from acting to focus on family and other ventures.

For Yixin, growing up with famous parents came with its fair share of struggles and emotional hurdles, as the scrutiny Xiang Yun and Edmund faced often trickled down to their children as well. 

“Did you ever worry about how your children, when they were younger, would react to negative news about you?” asked Rebecca.

“When Edmund and I decided to get married, many reporters wrote about it. That was the first time we realised how impactful the media was,” recalled Xiang Yun.

“The audience was very simple then. They would write letters to us. When we got married, people even mailed me obituaries with my photo on them because they didn’t want me to marry Edmund. I used to receive a lot of hate mail.”

It was her first encounter with haters, but Xiang Yun eventually learned to tune out the negativity. As social media made public life even less private, she realised her children might one day face the same scrutiny — and taught them to ignore the noise as well.

However, things are always easier said than done. 

Yixin said: “As a kid, it was hard to understand that it’s just part and parcel of [their work]. I think I really regretted the way I handled the news, it was more so of a lot of frustration, frustration [that] comes from assumptions people make and I couldn't clear it up for them,” said Yixin.

She recalled one piece of news coverage that particularly upset her.

“There was an article that said my mum would bring home leftover food from set for the family to eat,” she said.

Xiang Yun explained that the food was untouched and she had simply brought it home to avoid wasting it, but the article ended up portraying her in a negative light.

“I’ve seen my parents react to articles, and it’s always been anger, but it was the first time I saw her feel like she was wronged,” said Yixin, who was only 11 or 12 at the time.

“We were kids, and people are always going to be curious. Of course it comes with the territory of being born with such privilege. It was hard for me to process those emotions of why people can just talk or ask, or feel entitled to know about how my mum is doing.”

“The generic experience I had was definitely different,” she added.

Yixin said her main goal in school was simply to fit in, though she admitted her parents may have misinterpreted this as her being “ashamed of them”.

She stressed that she never felt that way, but did feel stressed when her parents visited her at school as it emphasised the "differences” between her and her peers.

“I think for me, I experienced a lot of ostracism," said Yixin. "But I also have to acknowledge that a lot of the time it’s probably something I pressured myself into thinking. I withdrew myself from a lot of people because I felt they knew more about me than I knew about them."

School was tough for Yixin, with Xiang Yun recalling that she often came home in tears. Edmund and Xiang Yun were unsure how to help. They tried speaking to her teachers, but were told the situation was between the students and that the school could not intervene.

“When it came to how the children interacted in school, as parents we couldn’t scold other people’s kids or question why they treated Yixin a certain way. All we could do was encourage her to ignore them,” Xiang Yun explained.

When Rebecca asked how difficult it must have been for Xiang Yun and Edmund — as public figures — to stand up for their daughter at school while maintaining their public image, Xiang Yun admitted she felt she couldn’t do so.

“I really couldn’t do that,” she said.

Had she not been a celebrity, she believes she would have acted differently.

“I would have gone to find out why — why my child kept coming home crying. We were really desperate,” she said.

From a young age, Yixin struggled with overwhelming frustration that often left her in tears. The emotional toll followed her into later years, when she battled depression and anxiety. Today, she uses her experiences to advocate for children’s mental health.

To watch the full episode, click here or scroll down to watch.

Photos: Mediacorp, xiang_yun_/ Instagram