Actor and director Fifth Solomon has publicly shared a painful chapter from his past, revealing that he was coerced into coming out as gay by a show producer when he was just 17.
Solomon, who gained fame as a contestant on ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ and has directed films such as ‘Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka’ and ‘The Exorsis,’ recounted the traumatic experience in a series of tweets on X (formerly Twitter) on August 9.
In his tweets, Solomon described being forced to disclose his sexuality in front of other contestants and cast members by a producer who was on a “power trip.” “Ang daming pang-aabuso sa showbiz world ah. Naalala ko lang nung 17 years old pa ako, sumali ako sa isang reality show,” Solomon wrote.
“‘Di pa ako out bilang gay guy. Takot pa sa mundong mapanghusga. ‘Yung baklang executive producer don sa show na power trip, pinilit ako paaminin na bakla sa harap ng maraming contestants/cast ng show.”
Solomon expressed the deep shame and helplessness he felt at the time, noting that he was a minor without parental support. “Sobrang hiyang-hiya ako nun. Nanliit. Menor de edad ako at walang magulang na mapagsusumbungan,” he said. “May kirot yon hanggang ngayon. Kapwa bakla mo pinipilit ka paamin sa harap ng marami.”
The actor also recounted how the producer tried to out him again before he left the show. “Di ako umamin. Takot pa ako no’n eh,” Solomon said. “Trauma kaya hanggang ngayon naalala ko pa din ‘yon kasi sabi nga nila, di mo malilimutan ‘yung mga pangyayari, salita na may lubos na pinaramdam sayo at sa pagkatao mo.”
Reflecting on his time on ‘Pinoy Big Brother,’ Solomon expressed gratitude for the support he received from the show, which helped him navigate his gender identity. “Kaya thankful din naman ako sa ‘PBB’ family ko for giving a platform sa akin at sa pag-handle ng gender issue ko nung panahon na yon,” he said. “Ang laking tinik ang nabunot sa akin.”
Solomon humorously mentioned his desire to confront the unnamed producer, saying he would like to perform a “death drop” in front of him. He also issued a strong message about respecting people’s privacy. “Kaya never out some. Never force them,” Solomon advised. “Wala kang karapatan magdesisyon sa kasarian ng isang tao.”
He emphasized the challenges of being true to oneself in an often unsupportive world, urging people to be authentic on their own terms. “‘Wag nating sabihin na ‘magpakatotoo ka nalang kasi’ dahil hindi naman madaling magpakatotoo sa mundong ayaw ang totoo,” Solomon added. “Pero magpakatotoo ka lang sa oras na nais mo. Mundo ang mag adjust sa ganda mo.”
