MANILA, Philippines — Actress and television host Kim Chiu announced new designs for her bag business Tuesday as she navigates a legal dispute involving her older sister, Lakam Chiu.
Kim has not publicly discussed the dispute in detail but appeared to reference the situation in an Instagram post announcing the business’ latest products.
“Started a business in 2023, faced an unexpected plot twist. But still here, still thriving, and launching new designs tomorrow,” Kim wrote.
“That #GirlBoss Energy!” she added.
Kim previously ran the bag business with Lakam. She filed a qualified theft complaint against her sister after she said she discovered financial discrepancies involving the company’s operations.
Sister faces qualified theft charges
The Quezon City Office of the City Prosecutor formally charged Lakam earlier this month with 124 counts of qualified theft over alleged withdrawals and transfers involving about ₱44.4 million in company funds.
Kim said she confronted Lakam in June 2025 after discovering unusually large transactions from their joint business bank accounts.
According to Kim’s statement, Lakam apologized and said she used the money for gambling and to pay personal debts.
Lakam denied the allegation and said she invested the money in a casino-related business venture that later failed.
Lakam has not publicly issued a recent statement on the case.