The 21-YEAR-OLD who made the news last month for her controversial remarks on how she is not proud to be a Singaporean, has found herself making headlines again, this time over a family dispute.
Ms Stephanie Koh, finalist of a Korean reality show, was accused of hitting her aunt on the first day of the Chinese New Year last Friday. Her aunt Nicole Chong, 33, who is the sister of Ms Koh's mother, made a police report against Ms Koh for attacking her.
A teacher who shares a Housing Board home with her mother, Ms Chong told The Straits Times she had locked herself in her room last Friday, when Ms Koh and her family came for a visit.
"We got into a quarrel in December, and she said a lot of things to hurt me then. I just wanted to avoid her this Chinese New Year," said Ms Chong.
But Ms Koh stood outside Ms Chong's room and made remarks to provoke her, which led Ms Chong to open the door.
"I opened the door to ask her to keep quiet, but she charged in and pulled my hair and pushed me to the floor. Then she hit my head," said Ms Chong. "I tried to stop her, so I bit her on her arm."
But Ms Koh told The Straits Times she did not attack her aunt. "My sisters and I were just doing our own thing around the house, chatting and singing songs, but my aunt shouted at us to keep quiet," she said. "She even opened the door and poured tea on me."
Ms Koh said she tried to speak to Ms Chong afterwards. "That was when she lunged at me, and scratched my chest and bit me. It's been four days, and I still have the bruises now," she said. "I tried to pull her away by pulling her hair. Then my dad broke up the fight. I did not attack my aunt at all."
The duo had quarrelled in December, when Ms Koh, who shuttles between Singapore and Australia, was back in town staying with her grandmother and aunt. Her parents are based in Taiwan and their home here is rented out. The duo were at first sharing a bedroom with Ms Koh's grandmother. Ms Chong said she does not sleep in her own bedroom, but uses it as a study. She was unhappy when her niece took over her study. "I was upset and suggested that we share the room, but she didn't want to," she said.
But Ms Koh said: "I just cleared it out so one of us could sleep there, then we wouldn't have to squeeze with my grandmother."
One of the top four finalists for Korean reality show K-pop Star Hunt 3, Ms Koh made a YouTube video last month stating the reasons why she was not proud to be Singaporean.
The video went viral overnight, and has been viewed over a million times.
