[Sportschosun Lee Woo-joo] Actress Lee Hye-young said she paused her entertainment career after hearing one remark from her daughter.
On the 25th, a video titled "15 Years On, My Daughter I Gave Birth to With My Heart, and a Los Angeles (LA) Supermarket Run (Mom Lee Hye-young Revealed for the First Time)" was uploaded to the YouTube channel "Hye-young Can't Be Stopped."
Lee Hye-young met her stepdaughter in LA, and the two, who first met 15 years ago, recalled their first encounter. The daughter said, "I was only about 11 at the time. I think I was a very angry child. When I went to meet my dad and mom, I would hide behind my dad and snap back when people asked me questions. Even so, she treated me so well and made it clear that she wanted me to feel comfortable. I was happy inside, but I stayed quiet and shy."
Lee Hye-young responded, "Her situation was one that would naturally make her angry. Her parents had divorced, and she was confused, so of course she was upset. It wasn't that she was snapping at me because she disliked me. I think the situation was just too hard for her to handle. Children change depending on how I treat them, so I felt it wasn't the child who had a problem. I just wanted to help her become a bright child. I wasn't worried, and I was happy to have a daughter."
What had once been the title "new mom" naturally became just "mom." The daughter said, "My mom treated me so much like a mom, and it was obvious how much she loved me. Then one day, I just thought, 'Today is the day. I should call her mom,' so I started calling her 'Mom.'"
When the two arrived at Santa Monica Beach, they reflected on their memories of life in the United States. Lee Hye-young said, "I really enjoyed being a parent representative back then. I even served as the parents' association president," surprising the production crew.
The daughter said, "My mom and dad went to the U.S. for middle school study abroad right after they got married. They only had about a year to get close, but she still came for me." Lee Hye-young added, "Back then, I didn't meet any celebrity friends. I spent my time with other parents instead. Being the parents' association president was so much fun. I couldn't speak a word of English, but I organized every event myself."
The daughter also said, "Even though you couldn't speak English, you still served as the parents' association president and made so much effort to get close to me in every way possible. I can see that even now."
The reason she decided to put her glamorous career on hold and live as a mother was a single remark from her daughter. Lee Hye-young said, "One day, she asked, 'Why aren't you filming dramas?' I asked, 'Do you want me to be on TV?' and she said yes. I told her, 'Then you choose. If I become a famous entertainer, I won't have time to spend with you. Or I can stay by your side even if I'm not on TV. Choose one.' She chose to stay with me. So I said, 'I'll raise you well, and then I'll go back to being an entertainer,' and she said okay. She knows I didn't continue my entertainment career because of her."
wjlee@sportschosun.com
