Beauty queen and actress Michelle Dee got candid about the challenges she has faced behind the scenes, addressing long-standing misconceptions about her life and career during an episode of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition. 

"I think one of the worst impressions about me, especially in my career, is I had it easy," she pointed out.

Often seen as someone who had a smooth path because of her prominent parents, Michelle revealed that her journey has been far from effortless. She emphasized the hard work and personal struggles that many don’t see.

"People don't know how hard I work behind the scenes. People don't know what I went through growing up. People think I'm a nepo baby because I have two prominent parents, but I have been independent since I was a teenager," she stated.

Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee also opened up about a painful chapter in her personal life. "My parents had the worst breakup, very public, which is why I moved to the States. My mom wanted to shield us from all of that," she shared. 

Despite competing twice internationally, Michelle admitted that her journey remains difficult.

"Since coming here, it's always been an uphill battle even after competing twice internationally, parang hindi pa tapos. It's like you're always fighting for something, parang hindi siya enough. And they always highlight the negatives, and you have to be so strong mentally," she said.  

She expressed that she often feels overwhelmed but continues to take things one day at a time.

"I am just taking it day by day. People don't know I am drowning. [I am] very proud of where I am but I know that there is so much more that I could do."

Michelle entered the Pinoy Big Brother house as a house guest on Saturday, March 29.

In a conversation with Big Brother, Michelle was asked about her experience so far inside the house.

"I think it's very interesting po kapag inobserve mo sila isa-isa. I like people-watching din po kasi and I studied psychology pa. It's definitely a mix of different types of personalities and people with a common goal. And it's so nice to see how those different personalities po come together and work together," she stated.