Socialite Jamie Chua reveals she had to sell bags from her Hermès Birkin collection to ‘feed her children’

September 28, 2021

Singapore socialite

Divorce woes: In the Sept. 20 episode titled “Beyond the Birkins,” the 47-year-old mother of two touched upon the struggles she experienced during her high-profile divorce battle with her multi-millionaire former husband, Indonesian tycoon Nurdian Cuaca, in 2010.

When asked by host Paige Parker if she’s ever sold any of her Hermès bags, Chua confessed she was forced to sell Birkin bags from her collection so she would have money to feed her children.
“Well, during my divorce, I actually did sell many Birkin bags to feed my children,” Chua said. She added that the bags might be “one of the best investments” that she’s made as they retain their value even when used. Hermès’ Birkin bags, the most desired and renowned of all luxury designer handbags, can retail anywhere from $9,000 to $500,000 each, according to Business Insider.
Chua also clarified that everything she has now did not come from her ex-husband’s fortune. She pointed out that people are not “realizing the truth is that I’ve played a significant role in the success that we both accomplished with our business”.
“People also don’t realize the trials and tribulations that we went through during the early years of our marriage and even after our divorce. I continued to work hard to maintain the lifestyle that I enjoy today,” she said.
The social media influencer and entrepreneur, who currently owns her own beauty line, considers her haters as her biggest fans.
“When people who don’t know me talk about me, I feel that I’m really successful, and I always believe that my haters are my biggest fans,” she said.

Correcting misconceptions: In response to a question Parker posed, Chua confirmed that Cuaca was not wealthy when she met him and that his immense fortune came about a decade later.

She then dispelled stories that she met her ex-husband on a flight while she was working as a flight attendant. “We met through a friend of his. I did not snag my passenger,” she said.
According to Chua, she and Cuaca are neither “amicable” nor “acrimonious,” but would rather call themselves “strangers.” She pointed out that her ex-husband has remained close with their children, 26-year-old Cleveland and 22-year-old Calista.
Chua was thrust into the spotlight after it was leaked to the press that she demanded and won 450,000 Singapore dollars (around $ 331,000) a month in alimony to care for herself and her two children, reported the Straits Times.
During the podcast, Chua lamented that the bad press and publicity that came during the divorce was not a “very nice thing” as “it’s very hard to deal with your emotions as well as deal with the press at the same time.”

Chua, who is currently dating lawyer Terence Koh, said she can be most often found tending her garden, where she raises chickens and grows fruits and vegetables, when not busy posing for Instagram photos or managing her numerous investments.

Featured Image via Jamie Chua (left), Je suis Lou (right)

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