Pokwang, daughter Malia separate from food businesses with ex-partner Lee O'Brian
Pokwang has now announced that she and her daughter Malia are disassociating themselves from the social accounts of the food businesses they share with her ex-husband Lee O'Brian.
On her Instagram account, the actress revealed that she and her five-year-old daughter are "no longer associated" with the social media accounts of PokLee Cooking on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as the PokLee Food Products Instagram page.
These are the home-based food businesses that Pokwang and O'Brian established in late 2019 prior to their separation, wherein they make various products such as laing, sili garlic aligue, garlic aligue, espesyal suka, gourmet tuyo, tinapa, and strawberry jam. These were sold online and at different bazaars.
While Pokwang has long announced that the PokLee Food brand is no longer available, she and her camp have been negotiating with O'Brian "to recover the management of said social media accounts that contain Pokwang’s image."
"However, he refused to come to an agreement with us. As a result, I have terminated any association in these aforesaid accounts, including the use of my image for promotions and any other purpose(s)," the actress stated in the caption.
Pokwang then urged her followers to instead follow and subscribe to her official YouTube account, Mamang & Malia.
"Thank you all for your love and support. Salamat po dag dag pang tuition ni Malia," she wrote.
The announcement comes as the comedian filed a petition for deportation against her former partner at the Bureau of Immigration, claiming that O'Brian was using a tourist visa while working in the country for the past eight years.
Explaining what pushed her to file the petition, she stressed, "Kailangan nating mabigyan ng leksyon 'yung mga taong nag-aabuso sa batas natin, sa karapatan ng bawat babae, ng bawat nanay. [H]indi niya nagagawa 'yung obligasyon niya bilang ama. Sobrang masakit."
In an interview with Boy Abunda, Pokwang also revealed that their joint food business had been a major factor that led to the end of their six-year relationship.
"Karapatan ko kasi bilang partner mo sa negosyo na malaman, 'Ano na tayo? Nasaan na tayo? Anong nangyayari?' Nagpapa-update lang naman ako sa kanya na, feeling ko, karapatan ko 'yon. Ang dating sa kanya agad... hindi niya nagustuhan," Pokwang bared.
She went on, "Halos one year na akong walang naririnig... Normal lang naman 'yon, e. 'Nung last month, ito ang gastos natin.' 'Yun lang naman ang hinihingi ko. 'Yun lang naman. Hindi niya nagustuhan. Parang ang dating sa kanya, hinuhusgahan ko na siya agad. Parang tinanggalan niya ako ng karapatan na malaman."
Pokwang and O'Brian first got to know each other in 2014 while working on the film Edsa Woolworth. Rumors about their split arose when netizens noticed Pokwang changed the brand name of the food and condiments she is selling from "Pok-Lee" to "Mamang Pokwang."