Broadcaster Lee Hye-jeong opened up about repeated hurts and disappointments she felt from her family, confessing a turbulent family history.
On the Jan. 17 episode of MBN's entertainment show "Sokpulishow Dongchimi," the conversation centered on the theme "Is mom a pushover?" That day Lee Hye-jeong began with the line "Am I a rice pot? Whenever they see me they say they're hungry," and revealed that she had no time to care for herself because she spent her life taking care of her family.
Lee Hye-jeong said, "Even when I was sick I made sure my children ate first," and lamented, "My son, even after getting married, asks his father for ordinary favors and always asks me for the favors he really wants. At some point I wondered, 'In my life, am I really a pushover?'" She added, "I thought if I treated my children well it would end there, but I was a pushover even to my birth mother," which made the studio fall silent.
She mentioned her mother, who is 91 this year, and said, "Whenever anything that costs money comes up, she contacts me. Because of her age, I can't refuse," adding, "When she brought up the hair salon, my heart sank. I knew I would be the one to pay." She confessed she felt deeply betrayed when she learned that the clothes and bags she had bought for her mother were one day handed over to a much older sister-in-law.
Earlier, Lee Hye-jeong shocked viewers by revealing she had cut ties with her son. She said, "It's been quite some time since I severed ties with my son. I haven't seen him since Dec." Although she had worked with her son, who handled export operations, to secure results while dealing with a Japanese buyer, emotional rifts that arose after a post-event gathering ultimately led to a breakdown in their relationship.
Lee Hye-jeong said, "My son didn't drink at all and just sat quietly. Frustration built up and my emotions exploded in the early morning," and admitted, "When my son said, 'That's not helping,' I grabbed him by the collar." She said she told him, "Don't show up in front of me until you die," and afterward she cut off contact and experienced deep regret. She added, "I even changed the CCTV and the locks for fear he might come home," adding to the sadness.
Recently her son knelt and apologized, but Lee Hye-jeong said she felt more conflicted because the apology was followed by "It wasn't my intention," and showed she could not easily open her heart. Still, she left room for the possibility that the severing might not be complete, saying, "But..."
Lee Hye-jeong has also confessed multiple times on broadcasts about the hurt caused by her husband's affair. She recalled a moment on a past variety show when she directly witnessed her husband with another woman, saying, "In my anger I tore his dress shirt and cut it with scissors." Even so, her confession that she endured to keep the family together left a deep impression on many.
Despite repeated wounds under the name of family from her mother, son and husband, Lee Hye-jeong still clings to the relationships. Her self-deprecating use of the term "pushover" has resonated with viewers as expressing her true feelings.
[Photo] OSEN DB, broadcast capture
[OSEN]