Broadway diva Lea Salonga speaks out on the importance of celebrities setting boundaries.
On July 8, 2024, the world-class performer takes to her Instagram stories to agree on the statement released by Aiah Arceta, a member of the Kapamilya OPM girl group BINI.
Over the weekend, Aiah's lengthy post, urging the public to respect the members' personal space and privacy, makes the rounds on social media.
A portion of her appeal reads: "However, there were still times when other people would not understand the need for privacy and personal time.
"Some would directly run up to me, grab a photo (even while I was eating), post it in real-time, use my face and post it on pages or places for the sake of clout and publicity without my consent, and worse, some would even include the real-time location, which I don't think is safe."
She goes all out to make fans happy, especially when the girl group is officially at work.
Aiah continued, "Don't get me wrong, I like taking pictures with others, and I enjoy meeting people who are as passionate as we are in the world of music and entertainment.
"It also warms my heart to hear and see people slowly learning more about me and my group, Bini. But I just hope that people also see and respect us as human beings.
"We don't always get to go out lately because we have been busy with work, and the least we can ask for is for others to respect our personal time and our humanity."
Read: BINI’s Aiah reiterates call for respect and privacy
But some people misunderstood her statement, claiming that she is "ungrateful toward her fans' appreciation," so Aiah took to X to clarify her message.
She wrote: "I'm sorry if asking for a little privacy feels like too much now or that I should just suck it up and deal with it, but when your friends are sent to the ER, I don't think you'll still have enough light to smile and think that everything is okay."
While she did not elaborate on what happened to her friends in the emergency room, Aiah emphasized that certain situations demand urgency and focus, which should not be compromised for the sake of fan interactions.
Her intention was not to undermine the importance of her fans but to emphasize the need for boundaries during critical moments.
"I saw how a lot of people are distressed with the statement I posted," she related.
"Again, I never had any issues with taking photos and meeting people, but it's these kinds of situations and other personal times that I think not only I need, but anyone else does too."
LEA SUPPORTS AIAH'S STATEMENT
Lea, who reposted the quote card of Aiah's first statement, gave a clear and resounding support as to where she stands in the whole situation.
The Tony awardee exclaimed (published as is): "Yes to setting boundaries!!!!!!!"
Read: What the PEP people think of Lea Salonga's viral dressing room encounter
PROTECTING HER BOUNDARIES
Around the same time last year, Lea was involved in a "fan" encounter that went viral.
After performing on Here Lies Love at Broadway Theatre in New York, a content creator recorded his visit to Lea's dressing room.
The following exchange can be heard in the video.
Content Creator: "Hi Miss Lea! Can we take pictures with you?"
Lea: "Who are you? I'm sorry, I don't know who you are."
Content Creator: "We're just a fan...please."
Lea: "If you're not on the guest list we cannot have you back here. So, you'll have to get to the door because if I allow this now then other people are gonna take advantage."
Appearing on New York Live TV on July 26, 2023, the 53-year-old actress-singer reiterated the need to separate art from the artist.
"We're human beings. First of all, we need to rest, we need to take time for ourselves," she conveyed.
"When we say goodbye, when we make our curtain call, we head back to the room, that's it."
New York Live host, Sara Gore, then explained that it is important to give artists some time to themselves after every performance.
Lea seconded, "Exactly. I mean, it’s an exhausting thing to do, a show.
"Even if I do sing one song, just one song, there’s a lot that goes into it.
"The preparation that goes into it is the same preparation as when I’m preparing to sing for two and a half hours.
"So, I think, it started a conversation, I think, that has enabled a lot of artists to say, ‘I need to protect my own boundaries, too.’"
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