HEART EVANGELISTA and her mom, Cecilia Ongpauco, came face-to-face with danger after they survived a robbery attempt at Evangelista’s apartment in Paris, France.
The robbery attempt was reported on Ogie Diaz’s showbiz vlog on Monday, Feb. 23, which began with the entertainment insider discussing a blind item involving a “fashionista actress and her mother.” He later identified them as Evangelista and Ongpauco, citing an insider.
“Last month, nilooban at pinasukan ang kanyang tinitirhang apartment sa Paris. Hindi yata naisara lahat or na-lock lahat ng door para completely masara ang pinto,” he said. “So napasok sila, eh kasama niya nanay niya [noong time na ‘yun]. Napasok [sila] sa kwarto, naloka si fashionistang actress.”
Diaz said that Evangelista was calm at the time of the incident, and that someone sounded the alarm. The thief escaped soon after, only taking a “bag with a semi-precious stone and fancy accessories.”
“May presence of mind si fashionistang actress, ‘yung mommy niya nag-hysterical. Pinakalma niya by pressing her hand,” he said. “Buti na lang, nag-alarm ‘yung buong bahay. Sa taranta ng akyat-bahay, nabibit ang bag na may precious semi-stone. ‘Yun lang dala, eh may mga fancy accessories. Buti ‘yun lang daw nakuha.”
The entertainment insider added that Evangelista’s other valuables were safe, since they were kept in her mom’s bag at the time.
It was not immediately known if Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s wife or her camp reported the incident to the French authorities.
Evangelista and Ongpauco were in the French capital last January for the former’s fashion week comeback, capping the season at the Paris Men’s Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2026.
In a media con for “Heart World” season two, the latter admitted that she used to underestimate her daughter’s work until she witnessed her daughter being in “forever motion” at the time.
“It’s the first time I saw her in her element in Paris. And I appreciated all the hard work. The passion, I mean, she was never-ending. She was forever in motion. She wakes up at 3 or 4 a.m. and goes all day long just fixing her outfits, her accessories, content, this and that. Always creative. It made me so proud to watch her in action,” Ongpauco said.
In the same event, the fashion personality also declared that she will “fight” for her purpose.
“If there’s something about my heart, something that I’m proud of, it’s that I didn’t allow my heart to harden, but I’ve gained a lot of wisdom from everything. I think I love myself even more after being able to stand up for myself,” she said. “I’m very grateful and alam ko kung bakit ako nandito sa mundo, and I’d like to stay in this world because I’m not done yet.” (Hannah Mallorca © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
