Last December, former Mediacorp actress Sora Ma announced on Instagram that her husband of three years, known only to the public as Mr R, had died in June.
Ma gave birth to their son, Skye, two months after Mr R’s death.
It has undoubtedly been a challenging time for the 41-year-old Malaysia-born actress, who had to be both mum and dad for her little one.
In an episode of Mediacorp’s programme #JustSwipeLah, which aired in January, Ma gave viewers a glimpse of her new home, which was adorned with decor reflecting both her and her late husband’s interest.
And earlier this week, Sora posted a short Instagram snippet, detailing a few features of her living room which included her shoe cabinet and Mr R’s vinyl collection.
“Welcome to our little sanctuary. This is more than just a house. It’s a space filled with love, stories, and a whole lot of character. From our cozy living room to my husband’s proudest display wall, and finally… a surprise guest appearance by baby Skye!” wrote Ma in her captions, before teasing a “part two” of the house tour.
Carrying baby Skye in her arm, Ma also joked that the little one is “her collection, which resembles [Mr R]”.
Ma was in cheerful spirit throughout the clip, and while many have gushed over how adorable her baby boy is, some netizens felt the need to leave mean comments.
They questioned why Ma appeared “too happy” despite having lost her husband “not long ago”.
Ma did not let the remarks slide. Replying in an Instagram story titled “I am reflecting”, she wrote: “I also wish to know if I am really very happy? Or am I simply trying my best to live my days to the fullest. Maybe I’m just trying to fake it until I make it one day.”
In response to another comment which said she “does not appear to be sad at all”, Ma wrote: “I don’t need your pity, so why should I express my sadness for you to see? Rather than have everyone be sad together, I choose to heal alone. If I approach you, do you have the means to make me feel less sad?”
Earlier this month, Ma revealed she had officially become a Singapore citizen on her 41st birthday, which fell on Jan 22. She made the decision to change her citizenship status as it would be easier for her to handle Skye’s future affairs.
Though it was news worth celebrating, some netizens found the opportunity to be negative. One wrote: “You have a new house after immigrating here, there’s really nothing to boast about. Can you be more lowkey?”
To that, Ma simply replied: “I don’t feel like there’s anything worth boasting about either.”
After sharing her interactions with the trolls, others have since taken to Ma’s page to speak up in support of her, with some saying it’s “heartbreaking” to have to see her deal with such insensitive comments.
“Live a happy life,” wrote one netizen, while another added: “You don’t have to reflect, it’s the [haters] who need to reflect on what they did.”
