MANILA, Philippines – The world of Philippine showbiz is many things all at once: a treasure trove for talent, a hotspot for some of the most binge-worthy movies and shows, and perhaps most glaringly, a space where some of the messiest controversies arise.
This year, Filipinos witnessed showbiz kalat in several forms — breakups, cheating, awards show snubs, and even dog hoarding, among many other things. Before we enter the new year, let’s look back on some of the most notable Philippine showbiz moments that made the headlines in 2024.
Mother of Diego Loyzaga’s daughter claims actor kicked them out for another woman
2024 kicked off with a heated accusation involving actor Diego Loyzaga. In January, Alexis Suapengco, who came forward as the mother of Loyzaga’s daughter, claimed on Instagram that the actor had kicked her and their child out of his house to make space for another woman.
Suapengco’s posts included a photo of the alleged other woman, as well as her email, and a clip of a past interview where Loyzaga talked about doing rehabilitation. She mentioned that while Loyzaga was aware, he was never sober.
The drama escalated when Suapengco alleged that Loyzaga had threatened to cut off financial support for their daughter if she did not delete her posts. This controversy has reignited conversations about accountability and co-parenting in showbiz families on social media.
Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla’s gluta drip in the Senate building
Actress-host Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla drew flak in February when she shared a photo of herself on social media receiving an intravenous therapy (IV) glutathione drip session in the office of her husband, Senator Robin Padilla.
The photos were taken as the actress attended a Senate plenary session to support the passage of the Eddie Garcia Bill on its third and final reading.
“I had an appointment…but I was going to be late. So, I had it done in my husband’s office,” she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post.
Netizens had deemed Mariel’s actions a “mockery” and “disrespectful to the institution” or the Senate building, where the drip session took place.
But netizens weren’t the only ones who took offense to the issue as Senator Nancy Binay also called on the Senate to investigate the issue, saying that “it involves issues of conduct, integrity, and reputation of the institution; and matters that concern health and safety.”
The former Pinoy Big Brother host later apologized, attesting that it was not a glutathione drip but a vitamin C one, which she said she received under the medical supervision of a professional nurse. She also said that her intention behind the posts was merely to show that she still had time for her health despite her busy schedule.
“Having mentioned this, my intent was just to inspire others that even amidst various activities or wherever they are, they can still prioritize their health by taking vitamins,” she said, adding that she never intended to undermine the Senate’s integrity.
Her husband, Robin Padilla, wrote formal apology letters to Senate officials, Dr. Renato Sison of the medical and dental unit and Sergeant-at-Arms Lt. Gen. Robreto Ancan. He said that his wife did not intend to disregard the Medical Bureau’s policies.
Senator Robin Padilla apologizes to Senate officials over an incident involving his wife Mariel.
“Nais ko pong bigyan ng diin na wala pong intensyon ang aking maybahay na ipagwalang-bahala ang mga umiiral na patakaran ng Medical Bureau.” @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/oR47wuRjhm
— Bonz Magsambol (@bnzmagsambol) February 26, 2024
4th Impact’s ‘dog hoarding’ issue
In late February, P-pop girl group 4th Impact started a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe for their plans to put up a “farm lot for [their] 200 shih tzu dogs.” In the post, the sisters explained that they started with five dogs gifted by fans, until their “family of dogs multiplied, [and] so did the need for space and resources.”
The quintet — who are real-life sisters — explained that they’ve received noise complaints from their neighbors. They temporarily moved their male dogs out of their home to alleviate the issue, and were thus looking to build a “dog haven” that could comfortably house all 200 of their dogs.
Netizens quickly called 4th Impact out on their “negligent” and “irresponsible” actions as pet owners, given the sheer number of dogs they had. Veterinarians and animal welfare groups expressed their concern for the dogs’ living conditions and brought up the issue of backyard breeding and inbreeding. The GoFundMe campaign was then deleted.
One of the group’s members, Almira, finally addressed the issue in mid-April despite apparently being advised to maintain their silence.
“I guess I didn’t think carefully before I did it [because] I will do anything in a legal way just to provide for our dogs,” Almira said, adding that the funds they raised were refunded to the donors soon after the campaign was taken down.
“This post is basically letting everyone know that we are closing this chapter and that we are never irresponsible pet owners,” she wrote. “Our dogs are the only stress reliever for us and meant the world to us so we will do anything to provide for them. And we will work harder to buy them a farm one day.”
As netizens had also called them out for asking for donations when they could afford to attend concerts of big artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and Bruno Mars, Almira alleged that their tickets to these shows were given to them by their fans.
Almira then called on everyone to stop sending her and her sisters hate comments.
Shaira’s ‘Selos’ and ‘Forever Single (Walang Jowa)’
While this issue isn’t as messy as the others, it still deserves a spot in this list for capturing the attention of netizens, giving the artist millions of online streams for this track.
In March, “Bangsamoro pop” singer Shaira’s song “Selos” was taken down from all online streaming platforms after being met with copyright claims from Australian artist Lenka. Several Filipino Instagram users had alerted Lenka of the similarities between “Selos” and the Australian singer’s “Trouble is a Friend,” to which she responded that her team is already working on resolving the issue.
Shaira’s label, AHS Productions, acknowledged in their statement that “Selos” borrows the melody of “Trouble is a Friend.”
Days later, Shaira’s other song “Forever Single (Walang Jowa)” and its music video were taken down after netizens pointed out that the song sounded similar to “Masih Mencintainya” by the Indonesian band Papinka.
In April, Lenka and Shaira settled the “Selos” issue after the Australian singer agreed not to file a case. Both camps agreed that Shaira would secure a cover license for “Trouble is a Friend,” with the “Bangsamoro pop” singer even stating that talks with Lenka and her team went smoothly.
“Selos” has since been re-released and its credits now listed Lenka as a composer and lyricist.
FAMAS snubbing veteran actress Eva Darren
During the 2024 Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) Awards in May, veteran actress Eva Darren was invited to be a ceremony presenter but was ultimately replaced by a “young singer” at the last minute.
Rightfully upset, Darren’s son Fernando de la Pena took to social media to call out the organizers for the incident, describing it as “rude, disrespectful, unethical, and unprofessional.” According to De la Pena, his mother had spent a long time preparing for the event, only to be sidelined suddenly without explanation.
FAMAS later issued a public apology, explaining that Darren’s replacement as a presenter happened as a result of their production team failing to locate the veteran actress during the live show. While they acknowledged that it was a case of negligence on their part, they attested that the incident was “not intentional and purely a misjudgment,” vowing to reconcile with the actress if she was open to it.
Darren’s family accepted the apology but also appeared not to have fully bought the award-giving body’s claim that they could not find the actress.
“I understand that we are but a small voice in the back row of a rowdy crowd, but if I may humbly, personally, recommend two things for the 73rd FAMAS Awards Night: Please stick to the script…and maybe a nice pair of eyeglasses for all in charge,” De la Pena said.
Young singer Sheena Palad, who stepped in as the replacement presenter, also clarified that she was only following instructions and had no idea Darren was originally given the task. Despite the apologies, the incident has sparked wider discussions about respect for senior artists in the industry.
Julie Anne San Jose’s controversial church performance
Singer-actress Julie Anne San Jose found herself at the center of backlash in October after videos of her performing secular songs during a church concert went viral.
@sparklegmaartistcenter Julie Anne San Jose never fails to amaze with her incredible vocals! 🌟✨ She brought the sparkle as the special guest performer at the ‘Heavenly Harmony in Concert’ (Harana para kay Maria) held at Nuestra Señora Del Pilar Shrine, Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro. 🎶 #JulieAnneSanJose ♬ original sound – Sparkle GMA Artist Center
The benefit concert, held at the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Shrine and Parish, was part of a fundraising for the improvement of the parish. However, netizens criticized the choice of venue, deeming the church an inappropriate place for a secular performance.
In response, San Jose issued an apology, calling the incident a “lesson learned.” Her talent agency, Sparkle GMA Artist Center, also defended her and took responsibility for the oversight as they were the ones coordinating with the organizer.
“This is a lesson learned, and it is assured that it will not be repeated. I am not perfect, but please know that I have strong beliefs, and my faith is unbreakable and cannot be shaken,” the actress wrote in her public statement.
Meanwhile, parish priest Father Carlito Dimaano — who organized the secular concert — issued a separate statement of regret and apologized for the concert “[hurting] the feelings of the faithful.”
Dominic Roque and Bea Alonzo’s breakup, and the pair’s alleged new flames
Less than a year after they got engaged, Dominic Roque and Bea Alonzo confirmed their breakup via a joint statement posted on Instagram in February.
“After much thought, consideration, and care, we have mutually decided to amicably end our engagement. It was not an easy decision. We wanted to have more time to carefully deliberate and pray about it, but there have been many speculations, questions, and insults,” Roque and Alonzo wrote.
The statement, however, has since been taken down. In June, Alonzo revealed in an interview with 24 Oras that she did not initiate her breakup with Roque. Insisting that she and her ex-fiancé were “okay,” Alonzo also asked that the public put talks of her relationship to rest.
In November, Roque was spotted sharing a kiss with actress Sue Ramirez, who the public knew was in a long-term relationship with Victorias City Mayor Javi Benitez. After the photos and videos of Roque and Ramirez went viral, Benitez was prompted to release his own statement confirming his breakup with the actress.
“Four months have passed since our paths quietly and respectfully went their separate ways…. Sue is a beautiful soul, a gem in the entertainment world, a true talent who showed me that love can be both fierce and gentle,” Benitez wrote.
The same month, Alonzo also caught the attention of netizens after she posted photos of her hugging and sitting close to another guy on her Instagram stories. Netizens thought that this was her new beau until she shut down all the rumors and clarified that they were just friends.
Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings’ cheating issue
Onscreen couple Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings became the talk of the town when the latter’s ex-girlfriend, Jam Villanueva, posted several screenshots of the two Kapamilya stars’ private flirty conversations. Villanueva made the big revelation days after Jennings confirmed their breakup and even said that he and Racal were just friends.
Villanueva said she had been rooting for Racal and Jennings — who make up the SnoRene love team on the hit show Can’t Buy Me Love — before their alleged “betrayal” happened.
The non-showbiz figure alleged that whenever she would confront Jennings about his seemingly sweet off-cam relationship with Racal, he would merely dismiss it as “method acting.”
Days later, Racal shared her side of the story, explaining that at the time her affair with Jennings started, she was “lonely” and “in a dark place,” and the actor was giving her the attention she needed then. She also said that after she told Jennings about her breakup with her longtime boyfriend Rico Blanco, he said that he was also single.
“He would be very sweet to me. He would be such a gentleman to me. He would say things to me. He would tease me on the set in front of other people. He would tell all the people who were close to me that he was single. I was confident to act a certain way around him on the set. Because in the eyes of the people there, we were both single,” Racal said of Jennings, who is set to star with her in the show Incognito.
Hours after Racal made her public statement, Jennings released a short, 20-second-long apology video, where he simply said he was sorry for hurting Villanueva and Racal.
It’s clearly been an eventful year — and this doesn’t even include the legal cases Filipino celebrities have been involved in. That said, watch out for our separate story on the legal battles showbiz figures have faced this 2024. – Rappler.com