Inside Bling Empire Stars Christine And Gabriel Chiu's Marriage
Those who tuned into Season 1 of "Bling Empire" know that Christine Chiu, otherwise known the "Couture Queen," is married to Dr. Gabriel Chiu, a plastic surgeon and direct descendant of the Song Dynasty. As she explained on the first episode of the hit Netflix series, if China still had royal dynasties, her husband would be the son of an emperor, and the couple's child — Baby G — would be a prince and next in line for the throne.
Naturally, the family is wealthy — like billionaire status wealthy. However, in an interview with OprahMag.com in January, Christine cleared up any misconceptions that she doesn't work hard. "Personally, people often think that I married into wealth, which is not the case. I come from a financially sound background," she said. "Or people think I sit around the house and I'm so lucky I'm married a plastic surgeon, and I don't have to do much."
The star continued, "Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery was something that I founded. Dr. Chiu was my very first employee. We've been partners ever since. My husband and I were taught to really work hard, not necessarily for the dollar, but for personal satisfaction. To wake up every day and be proud of accomplishing something."
Scroll ahead to learn more about Christine and Gabriel's marriage, including how "Bling Empire" affected their relationship.
'Bling Empire' made Christine and Gabriel's marriage stronger
While promoting "Bling Empire," Christine Chiu told Us Weekly that she's not the person she was portrayed on the show. "I think the show really just showed one aspect of who I am. I think it really highlighted one slice of my personality, one slice of my life," she said.
The reality star also opened up about whether "Bling Empire" has negatively affected her marriage to husband Gabriel Chiu, revealing that despite the fact that some personal details about their lives were made public, their truth made them stronger as a couple. In fact, they bonded over sharing their struggles with infertility with the world knowing that it helped people who are also struggling to have a baby.
She explained, "Developing the show, filming it, sitting on it and then watching it blow up the way it did and to have the vast amount of positive feedback. To get emails and DMs [from] moms who are appreciative of us sharing our struggles [with fertility] or moms who are still going through it. Maybe watching the show not only gave them a little chuckle, but also hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel."
"That's very gratifying," Christine added. "I think being able to share our struggles and triumphs together has made us stronger as a couple."
Christine revealed a secret about the couple's infertility struggles
As noted above, one of the main storylines on "Bling Empire" was Christine and Gabriel Chiu's conversations about growing their family. On the show, it was revealed the couple struggled to conceive their son Gabriel, otherwise known as Baby G. Christine had a life-threatening pregnancy, which is why she wasn't not very keen on another baby. For a second child, they even considered surrogacy — even though it goes against Gabriel's family's traditions — but eventually decided that a family of three is enough for them.
It was later revealed to Gabriel's parents that he was the person with fertility issues, not Christine. "That was completely unscripted and really came out in the moment. There's something to be said about the right timing and the things happening for a reason," the star told OprahMag.com. "It was a surprise. When those words came out of my mouth I was in shock because I held it in for so long. I know my husband is supportive. Clearly now we have a boy — not only a child, but a boy, which is a very important thing in the Chinese culture. I would hope that my in-laws are a little bit more forgiving."