Former talent manager and showbiz insider Ogie Diaz expressed both sympathy and admiration for actress Liza Soberano after her emotional revelations about childhood abuse and trauma.
Speaking in the August 17 episode of his vlog ‘Showbiz Updates’, Diaz said he felt “naawa pero humanga” at Soberano’s courage to open up about her painful past.
“Naawa ako at the same time, ang tapang. Napakatapang ni Liza Soberano,” he said.
Soberano, in an interview for Sarah Bahbah’s podcast-cinema hybrid ‘Can I Come In?’, revealed harrowing details of her early life, including her biological mother’s meth addiction, being kidnapped along with her younger brother, and later being subjected to abusive treatment by foster parents who forced her to eat dog feces and crouch inside a cardboard box “like a pet.”
Diaz confirmed that he had long known about these experiences when he first managed the actress.
“Kailangan makilala mo ‘yong talambuhay niya, ‘yong kaniyang istorya ng buhay, kung saan siya nanggagaling. Kaya ‘yong sinabi ni Liza, ‘yong kuwento ng buhay niya no’ng maliit siya, totoo ‘yon,” he explained.
The former manager recalled that Soberano disliked receiving dolls as gifts, as they reminded her of being locked in a room full of dolls when she was young. Even egg trays triggered discomfort.
“She went through so much when she was young. But for Tita Joni and me as her guardians, we’re not doctors. I knew that she would meet a psychiatrist,” Diaz said, adding that professional help was sought to address her trauma.
Despite the painful past, Diaz noted that her struggles may have shaped her exceptional acting.
“I want to attribute this to why she is great at acting and great at crying,” he remarked. “I don’t want to invalidate her feelings and recollections. It’s her story.”
Soberano also confirmed in the same podcast that she and Enrique Gil have been separated for “almost three years.” While she called him her “first love” and admitted their love team once served as her “safety net,” she said they eventually realized they were no longer a match.
Diaz managed Soberano for years before she moved to the United States to pursue Hollywood projects. The two had a public falling-out in 2023 when the actress said she felt boxed in by her former management and network into a love team to advance her career.
