from The Electric New Paper
CALL me anything but don't call me 'God'. Haha.
Now she can joke about it.
Singer Mavis Hee on the 'Call me God' incident which landed her at mental institute.
By Chang May Choon, 23 September 2006
CALL me anything but don't call me 'God'. Haha.
That is what Singaporean songbird Mavis Hee wrote in a note to readers of The New Paper.
It has been three months since she was admitted to the Institute Of Mental Health after allegedly harassing two people and screaming 'Call Me God!' at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
And it seems she is well enough to joke about the bizarre moment.
We met yesterday afternoon in her parent's home in Toa Payoh.
It was her first meeting with the media after the incident, and just in time for us to ask about rumours in Taiwan that she had given birth and was suffering from post-natal blues. Apparently, a singer claimed to have seen the baby.
When told, Mavis laughed heartily and told The New Paper: 'Really? That's terrifying! But that's obviously not true.
'And I've never put a football to my tummy (to fake pregnancy).'
Mavis, 32, looked no different from what she used to. And though she had been diagnosed with clinical depression, the happy glow on her face would not suggest it.
She wore the shocking blue eye shadow that was all the rage in the 1990s when she shot to fame with hit songs like Regret and Moonlight In The City.
When this reporter arrived at her parent's flat, a smiling Mavis quickly got up from the sofa to offer drinks.
And that smile never left her face throughout the hour-long chat with 12 journalists. Her mother and two publicists from her old record label were also present.
At one point, Mavis joked that it felt like a 'Chinese New Year gathering'.
Speaking to us like we were old friends, she regaled us with tales of how she stayed in Italy for a year in 2003-04.
On her right hand was a ring bought in Rome. It bears the face of former South African president Nelson Mandela, whom she said she respects.
She said she has received two offers to perform in China, but plans to stay at home for the time being.
Next Wednesday, she will spend her birthday volunteering at a hospital for terminally-ill patients.
She also thanked all those who were concerned about her.
But the question on everyone's mind was why she went to the Ritz Carlton and shouted those three words at two unidentified guests.
She would not say. Twice we brought up the topic and all she would say was that the situation was 'chaotic'.
'If I think about it, I might go into depression again,' she joked.
SIGNS OF DEPRESSION
She had noticed signs of depression after returning from Italy. But it was only after the hotel incident that she accepted she needed medical help.
You could hardly bear to grill her, especially when she seemed so sweet and obliging.
Her mum and publicists went all out to protect her.
One insisted that no photos were allowed, until the gracious singer herself caved in to multiple requests.
Her mum had a mini outburst, sternly citing a '1994 report' and demanding to speak to a certain newspaper. But Mavis quickly dissolved the tension by reassuring her that everything was fine.
As we were leaving, the smiling singer stood at the door, waving goodbye for a long time.
We hope though, that this marks the beginning of a long-awaited comeback.
