Netflix’s latest reality show has taken the world by storm. Bling Empire is all that people seem to be talking about this week. Out of all the glamorous cast members on the show, one unexpected personality has caught everybody’s attention. Anna Shay, a 60-year-old millionaire, is the breakout star of the show. Not exactly what we would have expected from someone who spends most of their time hanging out at home.
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If you’re curious to know more about Bling Empire star Anna Shay, you’ve come to the right place. Here are five shocking facts about the Bling Empire star you need to know.
She didn’t think Jeff Jenkins seriously wanted her to be a part of the Netflix’s reality series
In an interview with OprahMag.com, Anna Shay admitted that she had no idea what she was getting herself into when she agreed to be a part of Bling Empire. When Jeff Jenkins, who Is one of her close friends and the executive producer of the series, approached her with the opportunity, Shay thought he was asking for her help behind-the-scenes and so she agreed.
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“The next thing I knew, I was sitting in front of the camera. I’m really quite shy, so it was hard. I never thought about doing this, especially at my age,” she said in the interview. The fact that she had told Jenkins that she would do the project made her stay till the very end.
She never watched Crazy Rich Asians – Netflix’s top show
We would think that Anna Shay would have definitely watched Crazy Rich Asians as it’s a movie made about people like her. However, contrary to popular belief, Shay hasn’t watched it. “I didn’t watch it. I was going to say, “I live it,” but I thought that would be too snobbish. Because how would I know, if I didn’t see the movie?” she said. One of the reasons she didn’t watch it was because ‘crazy’ isn’t considered a good word in the circle she was born in and it’s not a word she would use to describe her lifestyle.
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“I didn’t do anything except being born. It’s my parents. My dad is from the South Side of Chicago. My mother is from the aristocracy. Those two are amazing. My mother said, “You were born in a crystal ball with a silver spoon,” she revealed in an interview.
She brought her pet monkey onto an aeroplane when she was seven
When Shay and her family moved to the U.S from Japan, she had a pet monkey. While the monkey had a bottom seat in Pan Am, the little girl wanted her pet to sit next to her. “My dad said, “Walk in and know who you are, where you come from.” My parents would always say that throughout my life,” she revealed in an interview.
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Feeling encouraged Shay walked in with her pet and placed her on the seat between hers and her father’s. What happened next surprised the little girl. The flight attendant asked her “would your friend like a drink?” and Shay ordered some milk and a banana for her monkey.
She didn’t cash her checks from Netflix
Shay recalls being super confused when she received her checks from Netflix. “I didn’t know what to do with them. I didn’t cash them; then I got in trouble for not cashing them,” she said. Shay has now put the money in her savings account and wishes to have a grand party sometime. “I don’t think the money belongs to me. I think it belongs to the crew that had to put up with me,” she said.
She respects money
Even after living all her life surrounded by the most brilliant and expensive things, Shay doesn’t take it for granted. She recalls in an interview how her mother taught her to always respect money, and to remember that the best things in life can’t be bought. “My mother said, “You can always make money.” The things that are most important are the things you can’t buy.” Money, if you don’t respect it, it’s going to hurt you. If you’re not prepared for it, people will hurt you.” This is honestly some great advice. Money shouldn’t change who you are but more often than not, it does.
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Anna Shay was already one of our favorite cast members on Bling Empire, but after reading these five facts about her, we’re more in love with her than ever before. She’s fun, she’s honest, she’s humble and she has great taste in clothes and jewelry. If you haven’t watched the show yet, we suggest you remedy that right away!
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