Vice Ganda expressed willingness to apologize to a male contestant whom he accused of attempting to kiss a female contestant during the “EXpecially For You” segment of the noontime show It’s Showtime.
The male contestant, identified as Axel Cruz, faced online backlash after he was mistaken for attempting to kiss the female contestant, Maria Christine, following his elimination from the segment.
The incident occurred when Axel was given a chance to deliver a message to Maria Christine.
As he approached her for a high-five, he seemingly attempted to kiss her, prompting Vice to call him out.
“Oy, hindi pwede yun, that’s bad! Don’t do that, you ask for permission. Alam mo bang pwede kang mademanda sa ginagawa mo? Don’t do that, hindi ka pwedeng biglang nagnanakaw ng halik,” Vice warned.
The incident quickly became a hot topic on social media, with many discussing Vice’s on-air reprimand of Axel.
Axel took to Facebook on Saturday, June 1, to clarify the situation. He insisted that he did not attempt to kiss Maria Christine, explaining that his actions were misunderstood.
“Gusto ko lang i-clear at clarify about sa segment ng its showtime ng expecially for you,” he stated.
He further detailed that his actions were part of a “friendly” gesture that was misinterpreted due to the camera angle and his position.
Axel apologized if his actions were misperceived, emphasizing that he had no intention of kissing Maria Christine. He also asked the public to stop sending threats and harsh comments.
Maria Christine later reposted the controversial segment on TikTok, clarifying that Axel had no intention of kissing her.
She explained that Axel’s actions were meant to be a “comforting” gesture, which was misinterpreted by the hosts and the audience.
“To clarify lang po, wala po talagang nangyaring halik. Wala pong nakaw na halik na nangyari. Parang comforting lang po talaga, since emotional ako nung segment,” she explained.
@maria_chrstnnn #stitch with @Jan Cabatoan Hello, gusto ko lang pong linawin yung nangyari kahapon sa show. actually nag comment na po ako ng statement ko sa isang vid dito sa tiktok pero stich ko na din to para may iba pang makaalam ng talagang nangyari dahil meron pa rin pong mga nag uupload ng video tungkol dito at nambabash kay axel.#expeciallyforyouchristine #expeciallyforyouaxel ♬ original sound – maria_chrstnnn
The female contestant appreciated Vice Ganda and the other hosts’ concern but reiterated that Axel did not intend to kiss her.
“In fairness po kay Meme Vice, ramdam mo talaga yung concern niya sa mga ganong bagay,” she said, emphasizing that the incident was merely a misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, Vice Ganda issued a brief statement on his X account, acknowledging the misinterpretation.
“Sorry na mali ang reaction ko. Ang dating kasi sakin at sa ibang andun eh na-off si girl na sinunggaban sya ng halik and I thought na she felt violated.
The star comedian shared his willingness to reach out to Axel and apologize for his reaction during the episode.
“Since hindi naman pala I will apologize to the guy,” he wrote.
