Pokwang's ex-partner Lee O'Brian deported, says she's now on 'Single Mom Journey,' at peace now
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on April 11 said Filipino actress Pokwang’s ex-partner, American national Lee O’Brian, has been deported.
In a press release, BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said O’Brian was deported on the evening of April 8 on board a Philippine Airlines flight to San Francisco. The BI confirmed he has no pending local cases in the Philippines.
“As a consequence of his deportation, his name has been included in the BI’s blacklist, barring any future attempts to re-enter the country.,” the agency said.
Pokwang, or Marietta Subong’s lawyer Ralph Calinisan, on X welcomed the news.
“Hindi namin maitago ang aming kaligayahan sa balitang deported na si Lee O'Brian,” Calinisan said, sharing the BI’s poster. “Tunay na umaandar ang hustisya sa Pilipinas.”
Hindi namin maitago ang aming kaligayahan sa balitang deported na si Lee O'Brian. Tunay na umaandar ang hustisya sa Pilipinas. Nagpapasalamat kmi sa BI. Bawal ang mga babaero at mapang-aping dayuhan sa ating bansa. The PH is, as it should be, for the true welfare of the Filipino. pic.twitter.com/yilx2sKm5e
— Ralph Calinisan (@ralph_calinisan) April 11, 2024
“Nagpapasalamat kmi sa BI. Bawal ang mga babaero at mapang-aping dayuhan sa ating bansa,” he added. “The PH is, as it should be, for the true welfare of the Filipino.”
Subong, on Instagram Story, reacted to the news with a Reel about "Single Mom Journey."
“This peace I have now did not come peacefully,” the text said. “It came from me being at rock bottom. It came from taking my kids by the hand and getting back up slowly & finding my way. It came from finding myself again through tears, heartbreak & resilience.”
“I will never let another person make me feel unworthy of love, happiness & peace,” it continued.
A “Single Mom healing method” text art can be read afterward.
Subong and O’Brian started dating in 2014 and welcomed their daughter Malia in 2018. They broke up in 2021, with the actress saying they were on good terms.
But their legal battle began in June 2023, when Subong filed a deportation case against O’Brian for allegedly rendering work in different production companies without proper permits from the Department of Labor and Employment and the BI.
In its April 11 statement, the BI noted that it found merit in Subong’s complaint and ordered O’Brian deported in December of that year for violating the conditions of his stay.
O’Brian filed for a motion for reconsideration but was eventually denied.
