Philippines gymnast Carlos Yulo has recently made headlines not just for his exceptional performance at the Paris Olympics, but also for the controversy surrounding his relationship with his mother, Angelica Yulo. Yulo, who made history by winning a gold medal in gymnastics at the Olympics, has come forward with allegations that his mother took his prize money without his consent.
The rift between Carlos Yulo and his mother came to light shortly after his gold medal-winning performance in Paris. In a TikTok video, Yulo revealed that he had entrusted his prize money to his mother, only to discover that she had allegedly withdrawn a significant amount without his permission.
Yulo, 24, said in a lengthy TikTok video his mother, who had managed his bank accounts that contained money he had won in gymnastics competitions, had been withdrawing money from the account without disclosing the exact transactions to him.
Yulo said his mother did not tell him he had received a payment from a 2022 competition and that she claimed the amount was less than what Yulo had actually won, adding he was unaware of what she did with the payment.
His mother, Angelica Yulo, has denied the allegations, reportedly stating in an interview earlier this week she had transferred money from the account to her own personal account to safeguard it for her son’s future.
Carlos Yulo said the amounts of the payments did not matter and criticized how his mother had been “hiding and handling it without my consent,” he said in Filipino in the TikTok, according to The Manila Times.
Yulo said his rift with his mother had started because she disapproved of his girlfriend, Chloe San Jose, claiming his mother “judged” San Jose for how she “acts and dresses” and said San Jose would use Yulo for his money.
Yulo defended San Jose, stating she grew up in a different culture in Australia and denied San Jose used him for his money, but he called for “healing” and hoped he and his family could move on from the rift.
Raymond Fortun, a lawyer representing Yulo’s mother, said in a Facebook post that any statements attributed to Angelica Yulo that appear to be critical of her son are “untrue, fake, and mere products of imagination and fantasy.” Fortun said Angelica Yulo shares in the “jubilation of the entire nation” in her son’s medal winnings and “looks forward to welcoming him home.”
The resolution of this conflict will require empathy, understanding, and a willingness to work through differences. By addressing the issue head-on and seeking reconciliation, Carlos Yulo and his mother have the opportunity to emerge stronger and more united, both as a family and as individuals. This goes on to prove the point that money can turn the head of every living soul.
