Teen singer Autumn Allen was tricked into thinking she would be meeting her mom, who she hasn't seen in seven years, but instead the show producers introduced her to a cross-dressing comedian.
MyTV, an Arab American TV network, invited the 13-year-old Cambodian singer onto the show on Mother's Day and led her to believe that they would bring her mom on the show.
Allen moved to Cambodia with her dad from the U.S. when she was 6-years-old, leaving her mom behind, reported Phnompenh Post.
When Allen learned that the MyTV variety show Penh Chet Ort (Like It Or Not) said they would bring her and her mother on for their Mother's Day show the teen was excited.
Instead of making Allen's dreams come true, the presenters on the show introduced the teen to cross-dressing comedian Chuop Rolin.
"On that day I was very excited because I thought [my mother] was actually coming," she told the Post. "At the moment I was sad that I could not see my real mother, but I had fun doing the show. Initially I was disappointed, but Rolin made me laugh so I had fun on the show."
Prior to the show, Allen told the Post that she tried contacting her mother several times - who she believes lives in Arizona - but her mother keeps changing her phone number.
On stage Allen kept her composure even though the producers broke her heart on national TV.
After a lot of social media backlash, the producers issued an apology statement to Allen for the cruel joke.
"We produced that program to make Allen and other people happy. We wanted to send Allen a message that although she has no mother, our team loves her as family so that we play with her to make her smile," Taboi, Penh Chet Ort producer, told the Post.
"It was a surprise for her and I just told her to sing one song on that day. She didn't know about it at all because she just knew that she came to sing. I know it is wrong and we will have special program for her on Oh La La program."
