Josie Ho Reveals Why She Didn’t Want Her Father Stanley Ho To Attend Her Showbiz Events

Among the many posts from celebs that paid tribute to their dads on Father's Day (Jun 21) was Josie Ho's. The Hongkong star is the daughter of the late casino king Stanley Ho, who passed away last month, and his second wife Lucina Laam. Unlike her siblings who are involved in the family business, the 45-year-old chose to pursue a career in showbiz and has been active as an actress and singer for over two decades.

On June 20, Josie, who married model-actor Conroy Choy in November 2003, posted photos of herself with Stanley on her wedding day. She wrote, “Australia was a little warmer than usual that year. Dad and I were sitting in the carriage. He was wearing a wool jacket. It was warm in the car and I saw sweat on his forehead."

"When I asked him if he felt warm, he laughed and said no. He knew that I was nervous [about getting married] and tried to make me laugh. I don’t remember what jokes he told me. I only remember the carriage was moving along very slowly and that the road was a little bumpy. The weather outside was great, and my dad’s smile was radiant.”

Josie continued, “The carriage was a little high [for me to climb out of], so dad gracefully held out a hand to me when I was getting off. I looked a bit pathetic pulling the long train of my gown. Dad helped me arrange my skirts, and told me that I was beautiful on that day.”

Instead of thanking her dad, however, Josie recalled snapping at him. “I turned around and told him angrily: ‘Dad, you’re stepping on my gown. This gown was specially designed and is very expensive. You gave it to me.’”

Even then, Stanley’s smile never faltered, as he walked beside her on the path to the wedding venue. “I was wearing high and thin heels that day,” she wrote. “I walked very carefully because it was an unfamiliar place to me. The sun was so strong, and I got a bit light-headed because of how hot it was. Dad continued to smile and extended his arm to me so that I could hook arms with him and walk towards the grass patch [where the ceremony would be held].”

She also recalled what he told her as they walked along the path: that getting married meant that she was entering a new phase of her life, and that she was not only his daughter, but also someone’s wife.

​“People say that every [woman]’s most unforgettable memory is when she’s holding on to her father’s arm while she’s wearing her wedding dress as she walks towards her husband-to-be on the red carpet. [My father] always wanted to attend the most important moments in my life, such as my movie premieres and award ceremonies. But I always rejected him. Even if he came, I avoided him, and I threw tantrums because I was afraid of the awkwardness that would come. The only time I didn’t avoid him was at my wedding. I really wanted to hold on to his arm as I was married off.”

She then ended her post with this poignant message: “Just like how you personally saw me off to embark on married life, I want to properly send you off today. I know you’re going to a place that’s very far away. There, you’ll never get sick, and you can tell your jokes every day. As for us, we’ll meet again one day."