Sarah Lahbati: Misunderstood Girl

Photo credit to listal

RT Sarah Lahbati @SarahLahbati
To all my friends and supporters, I'd like to thank you for the love and loyalty you've given me. I've been very blessed last year and I'm grateful to all of you but unfortunately you will be seeing less of me this year for reasons that are hard to explain through Twitter. I've had misunderstandings with the people who are handling my career. I am still thankful to them for the efforts they have shown in past but now I feel neglected and my back is against the wall. Therefore I have to do something. Just to clarify this issue that's been going around, I signed a contract with Royal Artist (Tita Annabelle Rama) as a co manager with GMA Artist Center because I needed someone to protect & help my well being in this cut throat industry. Tita Annabelle only wants the best for me, with her years of experience and success in this industry I know that she's the right person to help me. When my family made this decision ,we were already sure that an artist tied up with GMA Artist Center such as myself can be co-managed by another talent company because I was offered by top management of GMA to sign a contract with ICONS management just a few months before i signed with Tita Annabelle. I didn't sign with ICONS because they wanted to deduct another 15% on top of the 25% that is being deducted by GMA Artist Center. We found that too steep of a deduction for someone who just started such as myself. Because of all of this uncertainty and stress, my family and I decided that I go back to Switzerland and study there :( ... This does not mean that I will be gone from the industry and craft that I love... Just a breather from all the chaos... Nakakalungkot na umabot pa sa ganito. But I'm also excited to study... I trust God's plans for me... :)

RT Sarah Lahbati @SarahLahbati
I just read the official statement of Gma against me. It's stated there that they are still investigating if I should pay 500k because the taping got packed up "because of me". I just want to make it clear that I NEVER WALKED OUT in any of my work even if they are making me work for more than 24hrs in my past show. This supposedly "walk out" incident happened during a taping of a fantasy show where I am required to show skin and wear a costume. My call time was at 5pm in Subic & I arrived at 4pm, I knew that we will be doing a lot of fight scenes that day and I wanted to be there early. When I arrived on set the producers asked me to change to my costume & do my makeup right away because it will be my turn to shoot soon,so I did prepare and changed to my costume. After I got ready I told the PA of the show that I'm ready anytime, that's when they told me that my scene was moved and they will shoot me right after dinner, but after dinner they decided to shoot my scene at 4am... From 5pm to about 4am I waited and did my major fight scene that finished around 5am. GMA Artist Center decided to book me for opening of EAT BULAGA the following day which required me to be in the studio at 8am to do hair, makeup and rehearse the production number. I never walked out, I told the producers and p.a that I need to go because I still had to travel back to Manila from Subic and be at Eat Bulaga studio by 8am. I tried asking help from my handler to fix the schedule but my handler was not answering at that time. I did not leave the set, I waited for the producers to say that I can leave. I had permission to leave. This is the complete truth, for the people that are saying I walked out,I didn't, and I'm sure if you were in my position you will also talk to the producers to say that you cannot continue. I don't know why this issue got out of hand and why Gma is all of a sudden on the offensive. All the chaos started to happen when I declined to be part of ICONS management. A top executive of the network once promised me stardom if I sign a contract with ICONS management, just because I didn't sign this is what I get. I am not treated well and I haven't been treated well. In layman's term, "I'm treated like SH*T". I deserve better, I worked hard and never complained, but there's only so much I can take from all this bullying. I don't owe GMA any money, in fact they still owe me. I finished filming a movie called Basement under GMA films, we started around August-early sept...We would shoot the movie for about 16 hours or more, we've been done since mid November, until now I still haven't been paid...not even a down payment. My mother asked my handler many times regarding the payment and until now there is no reply. There are many more incidents that I am not saying. I hope this will end soon because I am tired and stressed out from all of this. I feel like I am fighting a giant when all I'm doing is telling the truth. I know that there's a lot people out there who doesn't understand what I'm going through... People are saying na bakit ako nagrereklamo...baka lumaki na ang ulo ko at yumabang... Hindi po ako nag rereklamo, bakit naman ako magyayabang? Wala naman akong ipagyayabang. Hindi ako sikat. I know my status in this industry. I'm just a rookie who loves my craft... I have been accused and mistreated...I am forced to fight back and defend myself with the truth. I know that God sees all things...This is getting out of hand. I will be quite & stay quiet. I've said my piece. At the end of the day, all I want is what's best for me & GMA. Thank you to everyone who's showing their love and support...

credits to Sarah Lahbati from her TWITTER ACCOUNT 


WHO IS SARAH LAHBATI?

As far as I remember she is a Swiss-Filipino girl, who won the 5th Season STARSTRUCK 2009 as the ULTIMATE FEMALE SURVIVOR.

I feel bad hearing this news about her and 
GMA 7. Too bad to start 2013 with this kind of misunderstanding and arguments.  Hope they all patch up things for the better.