James Reid and Jeffrey Oh. Image. Instagram/@james, Facebook/Jeffrey Oh
James Reid finally broke his silence and denied allegations of his dad Malcolm Reid’s involvement in the July arrest of the actor-musician’s business partner, Careless CEO Jeffrey Oh.
James spoke up on the matter in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN reporter MJ Felipe for “TV Patrol” on Friday, Sept. 1.
“It has been rough. This year has been one of the biggest challenges so far, but we are learning a lot,” James admitted. “Honestly, we just keep getting stronger.”
“I was shocked—me, my family, especially my dad,” he continued. “We were shocked at some of the rumors that were coming out.”
It can be recalled that showbiz columnist Cristy Fermin made Oh’s arrest public last July and alleged that Malcolm was among those who had filed complaints against the Korean-American businessman before the Bureau of Immigration.
“When it came out, [my dad] said, ‘James, what did I do?’ He was shocked,” James recalled. “The simplest way to say it is that, yeah, he had nothing to do with this.”
James further stressed that the incident was “surprising” and that his dad “was upset at everything that was happening.”
James then assured fans of Liza Soberano, one of Careless’ talents, that “amazing projects” have been lined up for the actress despite Oh’s case.
“I just want to let all the fans know that there’s nothing to worry about. She’s preparing something very special for them, so they have something to look forward to,” James said.
“We are a very small company but we’re very hard working. It takes us time so please be patient with us,” he appealed.
The BI confirmed that Oh was arrested in Barangay Poblacion in Makati last July 28 for purportedly “engaging in gainful employment,” without having the required documents to operate a business in the country.
Oh was reportedly released on bail last Aug. 4, but his deportation proceedings will continue. /ra