“It’s been great working with her.”
Actor-singer James Reid has confirmed that Liza Soberano’s has left his record label, Careless Music, ending ongoing speculations about bad blood between them.
On September 14, Careless Music officially announced that the actress had left their management roster, effective July 29, 2024.
Following the announcement, the talent agency expressed its well-wishes for Liza, stating, “It has been a pleasure to have represented her, and we wish her the best in all of her endeavors.”
Speculations soon surfaced, with rumors suggesting that it was James who terminated Liza’s contract, while others claimed that the actress decided to end her relationship with Careless. These were further fueled by Liza’s unfollowing of Careless Music on Instagram.
To clarify the situation, James spoke in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News on September 17, confirming that Liza was the one who chose to leave Careless.
“We decided to make this statement because there’s a lot of rumors na hindi na siya [part ng] Careless. So we decided to release the statement just to confirm, para there’s no confusion.
“Desisyon niya na umalis sa Careless,” confirmed James.
He emphasized that the decision was mutual, explaining that their contract allowed for a “termination for convenience,” which meant that any artist, including Liza, could leave at any time, provided James agreed.
“Actually, sa lahat ng contracts and agreements I have with my artists, there’s a termination for convenience clause, na anytime pwedeng umalis, as long as I agree. And nag-agree naman ako,” Reid explained.
He shared that before Liza’s departure, they had an open conversation where she expressed her desire to focus on her career in Hollywood.
“We have different, I guess, career paths. She’s more focused on her US career and going Hollywood, all of that. And mas focused kami sa Pilipinas,” James said.
“We’re really focused here in the Philippines… Well, I did help her a lot with the initial meetings with her co-management in the US, even with that first film. I introduced the director, but everything after that was really her,” he added.
James praised Liza’s proactive approach to managing her career, saying, “Liza’s been very proactive with her career ever since she joined Careless. She has a very clear idea of where she wants to go with her career and everything.”
He added that by the end of her time with Careless, Liza was essentially managing herself. With her relocation to the U.S., it made sense for Careless to step aside.
“And towards the end, basically, mina-manage niya ang sarili niya. […] Now that she’s in the U.S., it makes sense that Careless is no longer in the picture, which I’m okay with.”
In response to questions about Liza’s deals in the U.S., including her role in the American romance-horror film “Lisa Frankenstein”, James acknowledged that while he facilitated initial meetings, everything that followed was Liza’s initiative.
Over the course of their partnership, James said he never saw himself as Liza’s “boss” and instead viewed their relationship as collaborative, with Careless offering resources and support.
“Actually, our agreement from the beginning was very loose. I didn’t make her famous. She was Liza Soberano already when she came on board, which is why I was so flexible,” Reid described his working relationship with Soberano.
“I did help her a lot with the initial meetings with her co-management in the U.S., even with that first film. I introduced the director, but everything after that was really her,” he shared.
Despite her early departure, James remains proud of Liza’s achievements and confident in her future success.
“We’ve been clear from the start that we try our best and we hope that it works out. […] We hope that great things will come from there,” the singer expressed his wishes for the actress’ Hollywood career.
“It’s been great working with her. And we wish her all of the best for her plans in the U.S. and her career,” added Reid.
Careless Music, he added, is always ready to welcome Liza back, not just as a talent but as part of the family.
“Even though she’s no longer managed by us, may babalikan siya dito sa Pilipinas especially with the Careless team. We’ll always be here for her,” James concluded.
Liza joined Careless Music in 2022 after deciding not to renew her contract with Star Magic and her former co-manager, Ogie Diaz.
