Kapuso actor Vince Maristela has broken his silence on allegations labeling him as “homophobic,” expressing pain over the accusation which he says goes against who he truly is.
During the grand media launch of GMA Network’s highly anticipated primetime fantasy series ‘Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre’ held last June 8, Vince sat down with members of the entertainment press and candidly addressed the issue.
“Sobrang nasaktan ako nun na tinawag akong homophobic,” he said. “Kasi ang mga ka-work ko, manager ko, [ay] gay, hindi straight. So para sa akin, sobrang… alam mo yun? Mahal ko yung mga tao, never ako nagpakita na homophobic ako. Yun nga siguro ang pinakamasakit sa akin.”
Vince added that during his stint in ‘Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition’, he built a strong friendship with openly gay housemate and content creator Esnyr Ranollo. “Suporta nga ako sa LGBTQ, e,” he said. “Grabe nga ang bonding namin ni Esnyr. Sa kanya ko nga nakuha yung ‘atake’ na word.”
Despite his rising popularity, Vince admitted that being in the spotlight also meant dealing with harsh criticism. He acknowledged that bashers have long targeted him online, especially after joining ‘PBB’, but he has mostly chosen to ignore the noise—until now.
The former ‘PBB’ housemate also shared that all his scenes for ‘Sang’gre’ were completed before he entered Kuya’s house. By the time he exited the reality show, filming had wrapped for the entire season. ‘Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre’, which premieres on GMA Primetime this June 16, stars Bianca Umali, Kelvin Miranda, Faith Da Silva, and Angel Guardian as the new generation of Sang’gres.
Reflecting on his time inside the ‘PBB’ house, Vince said the experience changed how audiences see him. “Dati kasi sa experience ko, parang nakikilala ako sa character na ginampanan ko. Ngayon, nakikilala na talaga ako as Vince Maristela,” he shared. “Sobrang thankful talaga ako, at sobrang gandang stepping stone talaga yung PBB journey ko.”
When asked about the more intimate realities of living in the ‘PBB’ house—such as the presence of cameras even in the bathroom—Vince laughed off the awkwardness. “Nung una, nahirapan lang din talaga ako mag-adjust. Pero strategy lang din talaga—angle-angle lang!”
He was also game when asked about how housemates dealt with stress or “physical urges.” With a grin, Vince replied, “Mahilig lang talaga kami mag-workout. Dun lang namin nilalabas. Kita niyo naman ‘yung laging nagwo-workout, ‘di ba?”
As the media conference wrapped, Vince hinted that there may be more secrets from the PBB house that audiences never got to see. “Siguro sa takdang panahon,” he said with a smile.
