LENDING SUPPORT: Iking (centre) knows she can count on her close friends (from left) Aishah Sinclair, Sazzy Falak, Yasmin Hani and Atilia to stand by her during trying times

HER name has been mentioned for all the wrong reasons over the past year, and Daphne Eleanor Iking is not up for another round of embarrassment.

The actress and TV personality is now putting her foot down — arming herself with legal ammo and ready to hit back.

Last year, her then-husband Ryan Chong dragged managing director Choy Khin Ming to court in a private prosecution under Section 498 of the Penal Code for "enticing or taking away or detaining with a criminal intent a married woman".

This time around, Daphne's annoyance and vexation stems from allegations by irresponsible online sites that have been spreading vicious gossip about her supposed involvement with the former husband of actress Natasha Hudson, Datuk Shahrin Zahari — from the time before the couple parted ways.

Natasha herself has been reported in a daily last Sunday hitting out at a "non-Malay actress and TV host" who is "a liar and a hypocrite" for "seducing my ex-husband while we were still married."

Appearing calm and composed, Daphne, in an exclusive interview with The Malay Mail, responded to the statements in a firm manner.

"I didn't hide anything. I didn't lie. We are 'seeing' each other — within a big group, as friends.

"I got to know him from a mutual friend when he came with a group of my friends to my performance in Wacky Bar on Oct 11 and he said he was divorced," she said.

"He told it to us, a group of friends, so I'm a little bit confused and taken aback by such accusations.

"Besides, just because we go out with a group of friends — does it mean we're together?"

Daphne shrugs off Natasha's outburst in the article which does not directly name her and maintains that her main focus right now was the blog that made serious allegations.

She said Natasha should have asked her about the truth before firing off in anger. "She should have spoken to me to get the truth before coming up with that statement.

"I have met her, like, once — but she could have at least sat down with Shahrin to ask about things." Daphne said Natasha had communicated her 'feelings' to a mutual friend in actress Dynas Mokhtar, who in turn told Natasha to talk to Daphne to iron things out."

Still, Daphne is leaving the remarks as it is.

"Again I'm sure if I take matters the legal way, that will do it justice."

Natasha's comments in the weekend edition of the daily on the matter were but the straw that broke the camel's back. Her anger is perhaps understandable.

A check on the site that began the malicious rumours revealed that apart from outright accusations of her being a husband stealer, one of the few entries dedicated to the whole episode revealed her name, as well as the juicy bit about how Natasha and Shahrin allegedly took Daphne's daughter Isobel for a DNA test.

It was said that the test confirmed the child was Shahrin's daughter.

"I've heard about this going but I've always gone tak apalah. God knows, my family knows, my friends know, they know the truth, so what?

"When that article came out, I realised this is really bad, this is not doing justice to me. I've got a job, a career, I've worked so very hard still trying to work my way up."

That's when she decided to seek legal help to figure out her next course of action. It was painful when she received an email sent by a friend who was concerned.

The friend also told her it was widely circulated. "I was really, really upset with what was written (online). That's when I forwarded it to my lawyers.

"I'm dead serious about it. I'm not happy, it hurts, there's only so much I can take."

She said freedom of speech was one thing, but to churn out lies did not sit well with her.

"We've got freedom of speech to say what we want. If they want to say Daphne Iking 'your hosting sucks', 'your acting sucks', even if they want to say something like I'm a bad mother for some strange reason — fine, that's their prerogative.

"But to say something to that extent… now that was really harsh." The weekend article itself may not have hurt, had there had not been prior 'news' that had identified her.

"I decided to talk to my lawyers, I will take action and they will do what's best to look after my interests and my reputation. This is just not right."

She warns the site to take down the slanderous entries and be more careful of coming out with such articles in the future.

"It has to be made known that they cannot suka-suka hati (do as they like) and write whatever just because it is hearsay. I know that's why they call it gossip, but if it's an opinion fine, but do not mention anything about my child, this is not right.

"Find out first what is the truth. Even Natasha has denied (in the article) what was said on the blog of the supposed DNA test."

The strain from such wild accusations have been adding unnecessary strain on her.

"As you know, I already have a pending court case and this is physically and mentally draining. I'm glad I have good friends who believe in me. God and Isobel are with me.

"Still, as much as I want to say it doesn't matter as long as the real people who matter understand — it's my career , my reputation here, because people are getting the wrong idea."

She pointed out that there were people who were quick to judge.

"It took a lot of discussion with family and friends before I arrived at the decision to look into things from a legal standpoint.

"If I go legal into this, I’ve got my lawyers, which means I have to fork out my own money. Where am I going to get the money for that? But that's another story," she sighed.

"I've got a child to look after, she's two years old. She's got an education I need to look out for, as well as be a full time parent — mom and dad to her — how can I do it when I am mentally disturbed by all this?

"I'm a freelancer, everything I do, jobs I get is based on my reputation as a professional."

Meanwhile, when contacted, Natasha Hudson refused to comment on the issue.

CELEPETS

One thing for sure, Daphne Iking is lucky to have the support of her best friends.

Part of the Celepets — a group of seven celebrities, other 'members' are Atilia Haron, Sazzy Falak, Yasmin Hani, Aishah Sinclair, Dynas Mokhtar and Serena C.

During he interview with The Malay Mail, four of them showed up to show support to Daphne. Serena was unable to make it, while Dynas only managed to join the interview much later. "We've all known each other through events or by hanging out.

But I think it was during my birthday, when I was going through a very low point when these girls came in," said Daphne. Sazzy said it all began with a gathering to watch the recent Michael Jackson film.

"From then on, it was just adding on girls to the Blackberry group we had, and that included other names such as Ning Baizura and Jaclyn Victor."

The seven of them however were so close that they became the Celepets.

"That was in July. Since then, if we have any problems, we get together." "

When Daphne read that weekend article, she was crying and posted about it on our group.

And when Yasmin and I read it, we felt it was really bad.

"We're here today because we know it's not true, and we just want to be there for her and maybe tell people not to mess with us," said Atilia

"We are simply against people going out there like that, disturbing one's livelihood, people who are emotional without thinking and destroying someone else," said Sazzy.

"We've worked our butts off to get to where we are right now. For someone to come in and try to destroy everything you've worked for — that's why we feel strongly about this."

The girls pushed aside the notion that they could be perceived as ganging up on Natasha. "It's about our rights," said Sazzy.

"It's not about getting back at her. It's about letting everyone know, next time you want to do something — to anyone — think!"

For Daphne, she does not hate Natasha. "I'm a bigger person and I will say hi and if she won't, then that's that."

"I did not ask the girls to take sides. I don't, and I won't make my friends to pick sides to be on." "I even told them not to come today," said Daphne before Atilia chipped in quickly, "But we wanted to!" A round of hugs for the sisterhood, and Daphne continues.

"They can think on their own. They're doing this because they don't think this is right." So just what are the Celepets? "

Well," explained Atilia. "All of us are an emotional support group of friends, who come together and we pledge to a cause.

"So for me, it's animal rights, Aishah has environment, Sazzy is with WWF and the rest of us are looking for more causes to pledge to, mostly in connection with children, nature, women and single mothers, among many others.

"It's better than sitting around, gossiping."

The group has since expanded to 'sisters of Celepets' to those like Ning and Yasmin Yussuf and even the group members' husbands and boyfriends have shown their support and called for a male version.

Whether it's Aishah's nature romps, Sazzy's dancing, Atilia's performances — they all turn up in full force in a show of support.

This doesn't mean they are a clique or a union. Or a bunch of 'mean girls'. Dynas who joined in at the tail end of the interview, said that she is on the fence.

"I will support Daphne is she needs me or Natasha if she needs me, but I choose to be nowhere but a tiang lampu."

It may seem odd, but again as the group said, support does not necessarily mean choosing sides.

"Let's be matured. All of us are friends, why can't we just sit down and talk?"

BLOGS

Most of the members of the Celepets wound up on rumour-based entertainment forums, blogs or websites providing fodder for the gossip sites.

The most recently hit was Sazzy after she was said to have had an online spat with another contestant from Sehati Berdansa — Dira Abu Zahar.

"Honestly, I didn't pay attention and focused on the contest.

"It wasn't a personality competition, it was a dance competition, and I took it as such. If I did go online, I didn't check out any of those things that people were saying, but watched Dancing With The Stars on YouTube."

She is quick however to point out that her case differed from Daphne's as her own was mere gossip and not damaging towards her career.

For Atilia, her own private pictures have been the target of vicious comments about how sexy she is. Worse still, some also mentioned her mother. "If we don't do something like this, it will get worse.

"It affects me, as some bloggers don't have principles of journalism. They put down names, and condemn and steal pictures from our social networking accounts. If there is a way of stopping it, then we're on the right track. I don't think it will, but hopefully it will go somewhere.

"'Taking' content published online is supposedly fair game. However sometimes it is not so. Sazzy, for one, has had personal pictures of her that were private, splashed out over the Internet. Thanking privacy settings that have been enforced, the girls can now share their precious moments with each other online again — in a safer environment.

The most recent celebrity spat is the showdown between actor Fahrin Ahmad, radio presenter Linda Onn, actress Scha Alyahya and actor Awal Ashaari. With the clash between Daphne and Natasha, one wonders if there are peers in the industry who may be out to pit them against each other as they stand to gain from their fall.

"That is so sick," said Yasmin.

"As a known personality, Your voice should be used for something better, responsibly. Talk about something empowering rather than to put someone down."

"I would just say, 'what if it happened to you?"

Now that Daphne is going through a low period, the girls have pulled together to be there for her.

"We know it's not true and the accusations are just crazy."

And what if it gets ugly? "I'm ready for that only because I have faith what I'm doing is right."