Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo recently visited Singapore and made an appearance at the Botanic Gardens on June 2nd to promote the NParks-Peter Lim Scholarship, organized by the National Parks Board of Singapore.
A video of the event went viral online, and some TikTok users pointed out that Ronaldo appeared unhappy while posing for a group photo.
Speculations arose among netizens, suggesting that Ronaldo was displeased with the woman holding his arm. The woman in question was identified as television personality Wong Li Lin, and she faced some mockery from certain internet users.
Wong Li Lin, who is the chief executive of Mint Media Sports, the event organizer, remained silent until she responded to questions posed by Lianhe Zaobao on June 9th, clarifying the situation.
She explained, “I was leading him during the event and informing him of the next steps. I merely held his arm, and there was no touching of any other part.”
However, she brushed off the negative comments from online trolls and stated, “Ronaldo is a legend in the football world, and everyone loves him, wanting to interact with him. I am no different; it was just that. I believe that if most of those netizens had the opportunity to meet him, they would act differently.”
Wong Li Lin, who is currently 50 years old, entered the television industry in 1994 and gained popularity in 1995 through the English drama series “Triple Nine.”
She later appeared in Mandarin dramas such as “The River,” “Rivals,” and “Rise Above.” After 2009, she gradually withdrew from the entertainment industry.
In 2017, she took on the role of the executive director of the Public Hygiene Council, stepping down from the position in May of the following year.
Wong has been serving in her current company for over three years. She has a 19-year-old daughter and a 17-year-old son from her previous marriage.