Kapuso actress Jillian Ward turned emotional as she finally addressed persistent rumors and allegations that have followed her for years.
The former child star appeared on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, where she was directly asked about ongoing speculations including claims that she allegedly had a sugar daddy or a sponsor prompted by her “lavish” lifestyle seen online, which included owning a sports car, having her own house, and celebrating an extravagant 18th birthday.
Jillian began by sharing that she had been enduring such rumors for four years, starting when she was only 16.
“At the time, ayoko pong magsalita kasi lagi sinasabi sakin, ‘If it’s not real, hindi mo kailangan magsalita.’ Tapos every year, nagre-resurface po siya. Then last week, lumabas nanaman po siya,” she said.
When the rumors resurfaced again, Jillian initially brushed them off. However, what deeply hurt her were the comments online that insulted her and her family, especially her mother.
“Nung nagbasa po ako ng comments, sobrang na-hurt na po talaga ako kasi sobra po yung pambabastos ng mga tao because of fake news. And ‘yung pinaka turning point din po sa akin is ‘yung family ko binabastos na po especially my mom. So sabi ko enough na po,” shared Ward.
“Sinasabi po nila na binebenta daw ako ng mother ko, ganon, kaya daw po ako may mga investments. Syempre nakakabastos po yun sa mother ko. Tapos iniisip ko din ‘yung 15 years of hard work ko parang tinatapon lang nila lahat ng ‘yon dahil sa fake news,” the actress lamented over the rumors affecting her career.
Jillian also clarified the rumors about her sports car, which she said sparked much of the speculation after some netizens questioned how she could afford it at just 16.
According to the Kapuso star, she bought the second-hand car with her own money from an endorsement deal with a skincare brand.
“Nabili ko po ‘yung Porsche Boxster. It was a secondhand car. Nabili ko po siya for 1.2 million. May deed of sale din po ako. May resibo ako. My dad has it,” clarified Jillian.
“Tapos ang kinakalat po nila is sobrang mahal daw niya. Tapos may nagbigay daw sa akin eh. Binili ko po iyon with my own money. Lahat ng meron ako binili ko with my own money. With my own hard work money,” she stressed emotionally.
“It’s all fake. Lahat po ng meron ako, I bought it with my own money. And yung car po na ‘yun hindi siya kasing mahal ng sinasabi nila. Lahat po ‘yan may resibo po ako. Lahat ng investments ko. I’m very open about it,” Jillian explained, adding that both her management in GMA and her parents have been guiding her with her investments and savings.
Ward also addressed rumors surrounding her 18th birthday celebration, which some alleged was sponsored and involved inappropriate encounters with “old men”.
“So, yung debut ko po even ‘yung GMA nag-share po sila for my debut doon sa gastusin. ‘Yung mga endorsements ko po nag-give love din po sila para ‘yung costings of my debut is hindi sobrang mahal. So lahat po ‘yun hindi po ako sobrang gumastos honestly,” she explained. “May resibo din po ako na lahat po yung yung lahat po ng costings for my debut na aside po sa binigay ni GMA, I paid. I paid for it with my own money.”
She also denied claims that she met her alleged sponsor in a hotel, as supposedly shown in a CCTV footage.
“Sinasabi nila, pati po sa mga comments, kinakalat nila na meron daw CCTV footage. Pumupunta daw ako sa hotels to be with old men na binibigyan po ako ng cars or sino-sponsoran ‘yung debut ko. It’s not real,” Jillian said.
“Nakaka-frustrate na for four years, I kept silent and I couldn’t defend myself,” she added.
Jillian further shared that she had to face the malicious and hurtful rumors alone, as her parents were going through a separation at the time.
“Sobrang naging mahirap po siya for me kasi kailangan pong magitna ako sa parents ko tapos habang nangyayari ‘yun merong mga fake issues about me na kada bubuksan ko ‘yung Facebook, TikTok, even Reddit. May mga kwento po about me na hindi totoo,” she recalled.
“‘Yung parents ko po they were going through a tough time. So ayoko din silang guluhin, istorbuhin sa mga nangyayaring issues sa career ko. So naging mahirap po talaga siya kasi somehow I had to face it alone especially nung minor po ako when it started, I was 16.”
Ward also vehemently denied claims that she was being pimped by her own mother or that she had a “secret baby.”
“Lahat po ng mga sinasabi nila hindi po totoo. Lahat po na meron ako, I got it with my own money. I don’t have a secret baby. And very open po ako. Open ako sa mga fans ko. Open ako sa GMA. Kilala po ako ng GMA. Alam nila paano ako tumanda sa industry na ‘to. And my parents, I’m very open with my parents, lahat ng friends ko. Wala pong katotohanan sa lahat ng sinasabi po nila. And I’m very confident about that,” she said.
When asked how she felt about being accused of being pimped out by her mother, she became emotional.
“Sobrang sakit talaga dito kasi my parents didn’t raise me that way,” she said. “Lahat ng meron ako pinagpaguran ko and my mom would never do that to me. And sobrang nasasaktan ako kasi hindi po talaga ganun yung mom ko. Nadadamay po siya sa lahat ng to. Nananahimik ‘yung mother ko.”
“Actually lahat po ng pinag-iipunan ko walang kinukuha ‘yung mother ko don. Lahat po ng meron ako hinahayaan niyang i-invest ko for myself.”
Ward also debunked rumors linking her to businessman and politician Chavit Singson, who had previously spoken out about the issue.
“Ito na po ‘yung first and last time na I speak about this. Pero never ko po siya nakilala, never ko po siya na-meet, never ko siya nakausap, never po kami nagkita,” she said. “So hindi ko talaga alam paano po nila paano po nila nagawa-gawa lahat ng to kasi never ko po talaga siyang na-meet. Never ko po siya nakausap.”
“I never met him. Never po kami nagkausap. I never met him. Hindi ko nga po alam kung kilala niya po ako eh. Hindi po talaga kami magkakilala,” Jillian reiterated, emphasizing that other rumors linking her or her relatives to Singson were also false.
Ward revealed that she and her management are now discussing possible legal action against those spreading defamatory claims.
“Honestly, gusto ko na gusto na rin po namin ng GMA na mag-take ng legal action kasi cyber libel na rin po talaga. It’s not right. Gusto ko po talaga na pag-uusapan na rin po namin ng GMA yun kasi it’s too much. Especially po it started nga po nung minor po ako,” she said.
