Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo’s impressive haul of two gold medals at the Paris Olympics makes him the country’s most decorated athlete.
But it seems drama worthy of a Filipino telenovela threatens to overshadow the Olympian’s historic wins.
On Tuesday morning (Aug 6), the 24-year-old posted a seven-minute clip on TikTok to address his strained relationship with his mother, Angelica Yulo.
At press time, the video has chalked up more than 17 million views.
Carlos alleged that Angelica had withdrawn prize money from his bank account without informing him.
While Angelica claimed he had received 70K pesos (S$1,608) from a tournament, Carlos said it was a six-figure sum instead.
Saying he “never received those incentives” and that he had “never asked them for it”, Carlos added that he has “given upon it as it’s no longer [his]”.
Stressing that it wasn’t the amount that bothered him, but that Angelica was “hiding and handling it [the money] without [his] consent”.
Carlos said he only found out about what his mum did after he got hold of his bank account and that he had proof with “bank statements showing withdrawals she made”.
It probably didn’t help when Angelica admitted in a televised interview aired on Monday (Aug 5) that she and Carlos were not on good terms, even calling Yulo’s girlfriend, Chloe San Jose a “red flag” who would use her son for his money.
Though he admitted that Chloe was the reason he and his mum didn’t see eye-to-eye, Carlos defended Chloe saying she’s from Australia and “grew up in that culture”
He also claimed that all his bank accounts were controlled by Angelica and that there were instances Chloe ended up supporting him.
“Chloe has her own income,” explained Carlos. “Everything you see whether it’s her belongings or her travels, is from her own earnings.”
However, he is extending an olive branch to his mum.
He hopes Angelica will heal and that he has forgiven her a long time ago, and that his family should be celebrating his achievements.
“I pray that you are safe and in good condition over there. Let’s stop this and celebrate the sacrifices, achievements and hard work of every Filipino athlete here in the Olympics,” said Carlos.
The Olympian also shared that even though Angelica congratulated his Olympic achievements in a televised interview, he admitted there were many times she didn’t wish him well.
He further shared there are still flashbacks of the hurtful things she said to him.
Angelica has since hit back at her son’s allegations and in a statement via her lawyer said any criticism of Carlos were “untrue, fake and mere products of imagination and fantasy.”
However, she shared in the “jubilation of the entire nation” in her son’s achievements at the Paris Olympics and “looks forward to welcoming him home”.
Two days later after that interview, Angelica held a press conference apologising to Carlos over their public feud.
Dressed in a black Saint Laurent top, she said emotionally: “Son, I am sorry. I know others would think that I’m only speaking because of your success.”
Angelica further asked for forgiveness and said Carlos is mature enough to make his own decisions.
“Our door is always open, whether you have money or not,” she said.