When 23-year-old heiress, Florinda Ho’s (何超雲) relationship with 35-year-old Joel Chan (陳山聰) went public last August, many speculated that it was just a fling that would not last. After all, not only was Joel married, but he was on track to become one of the rising stars at TVB after struggling in the television industry for many years. After divorcing his wife, Joel and Florinda did not hesitate to flaunt their relationship publicly, from sending each other love notes across each other’s social networking sites to uploading photos from their vacations together. Already referring to each other as “husband” and “wife,” it was only a matter of time before rumors of a wedding were to begin. Joel could become the son-in-law of Macau’s gambling king, Stanley Ho (何鴻燊), as early as the end of this year! Proposal in Portugal? According to an insider, Joel got on one knee and proposed to Florinda in Portugal, which was a special place for them because Portugal was the first destination they traveled to together. Upon the proposal, Florinda was reportedly extremely emotional and said, “Yes!” Apparently, Stanley Ho was excited to hear about the wedding plans. Florinda’s mother, Chan Yuen Chun (陳婉珍) on the other hand, was hesitant to approve of their relationship in the first place. She felt that Joel did not have a steady career and was not too thrilled with Joel and Florinda’s public displays of affection for one other. Mrs. Ho felt that at only 23-years of age, Florinda should focus on her career and that a wedding by the end of this year was too rushed. When reporters contacted Mrs. Ho’s secretary, her secretary declined to comment on her behalf. In order to prove to her mother that she is not choosing a relationship over her future, Florinda spent the past year focusing on her fashion business. She brought Joel with her to Europe, for months at times, to build her fashion empire. Florinda Denies Wedding Plans Florinda was quick to deny the rumors on her blog, writing, “I read a very funny joke today. Did everyone read it? I don’t want to deny it, but acknowledge itstead. I don’t like those type of fairy-tale-television-style proposals! Getting on one knee, roses, crying – that is not my style at all! You guys don’t understand me at all!” However, Florinda did not address the rumor of the wedding taking place at the end of the year. Florinda is no stranger to controversy. She has been linked to numerous men in the past, including many heirs and celebrities in Hong Kong, including Pakho Chau (周柏豪). In the end, she shocked many by choosing Joel, who is 12 years her senior without a definitive career. At 23 years old, is Florinda too young to know what true love is? Or has her privileged background already prepared her for what is ahead? Creds: Ming pao
