Matet de Leon Breaks Down Remembering 7 Years Without Nora Aunor — “We Were Too Poor to Visit Her in the U.S.!” Hidden Family Struggles Revealed

In an emotional Facebook post dated May 5, 2025, actress Matet de Leon opened up about one of the most painful chapters in her life — the long years she spent apart from her adoptive mother, the late Nora Aunor, while the legendary actress was living in the United States.

Matet shared a blurry but deeply symbolic photograph of her, Nora, and brother Kenneth de Leon, taken during a rare photo shoot shortly after the Superstar’s return to the Philippines in 2011. While the photo lacked clarity, the emotions behind it were raw, vivid, and unforgettable.

“Ito yung unang araw na nakauwi si Mommy from the States,” she wrote. “Grabe’ng tagal namin siyang hindi nakita.”

7 Years Without Their Mother: The Untold Struggle

Nora Aunor, who moved to the U.S. in 2004 and stayed until 2011, was absent from her children’s lives for seven long years. And while many assumed the family simply drifted apart due to showbiz demands, Matet finally revealed the heartbreaking truth — it was poverty that kept them apart.

“Hindi kami makapunta sa States noon dahil pare-parehas mahirap ang buhay namin nung panahong yun,” Matet confessed.

This revelation paints a stark contrast to the glitz and glamour that often surrounds celebrity families. For Matet and her siblings — Lotlot, Ian, Kenneth, and Kiko de Leon — the separation from their mother wasn’t a choice. It was a painful consequence of financial hardship, made even worse by the fact that video calls were not yet common during those years.

“Email lang ang paraan namin ng pag-uusap noon,” she added. “Walang video call, walang messenger, walang Zoom. Masakit kasi hindi mo man lang siya makita, marinig, maramdaman.”

The Photo That Spoke a Thousand Emotions

The photo Matet posted wasn’t originally part of the shoot. Matet and Kenneth weren’t scheduled to be there, but Nora herself requested that a photo be taken with her children — a quiet but powerful gesture that spoke volumes.

“She asked the photographer to capture a moment with us. That was the first time in seven years I saw her again, and I could barely hold back the tears.”

Despite the haziness of the image, its emotional weight was sharp. It symbolized reunion, pain, longing, and unconditional love — a moment frozen in time that would remain etched in Matet’s heart forever.

Family Ties and Deep Scars

Nora Aunor’s children — adopted and biological — have had their share of complicated relationships with their mother. Matet and her sister Lotlot de Leon have been vocal in the past about their emotional distance from Nora, and how they often felt unloved or misunderstood. Yet, in moments like this, their enduring love and longing for her shine through.

Even as grown adults with families of their own, the de Leon children have carried the scars of a fragmented upbringing, juggling their own struggles while living in the shadow of a national icon.

“We didn’t need a superstar,” Matet once said. “We needed a mother.”

A Glimpse Into the Superstar’s Private Life

Nora Aunor’s move to the U.S. was surrounded by controversy — from health issues to career setbacks. But now, more than a decade later, it’s her absence as a mother that seems to have left the most profound impact.

As tributes continue to pour in following Nora’s passing, Matet’s post offers a deeply personal and heartbreaking reminder that behind the public persona of the “Superstar” was a mother, a woman, and a family fractured by circumstances far beyond fame.

A Daughter’s Longing That Never Faded

Matet de Leon’s vulnerable confession struck a chord with thousands of fans, many of whom were unaware of the emotional and financial difficulties the de Leon family endured during Nora’s years abroad.

Her post wasn’t just a nostalgic memory — it was a quiet scream of pain, love, and a longing that time never erased.

In the end, it wasn’t the years apart or the fame that defined their relationship. It was the simple, painful truth that even stars have shadows — and that even the most iconic families are not immune to heartbreak.