Actress and Lella Ford openly acknowledged being called a “nepo baby,” but stressed that she is determined to build her own name in the entertainment industry.
Ford addressed the issue during an interview with her mother, Karla Estrada, on ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’, hosted by Boy Abunda.
When asked about being labeled a “nepo baby” because she is Estrada’s daughter and the sister of actor Daniel Padilla, Ford said she does not deny the privilege but believes there is nothing wrong with it.
“Totoo naman po. I mean, where’s the lie? It’s true and wala namang pong masama doon,” she said.
However, the young actress emphasized that she works hard to earn her place in the industry.
“Nagiging masama lang siya if you take advantage of it—if palamunin ka lang at wala kang ginagawa. But ako po, I’m here because I’m making a name for myself and pinaghihirapan ko lahat ng meron ako now,” she added.
Ford also shared that she is already used to hearing controversies surrounding her family.
“Growing up, ang dami kong naririnig na controversial things about my mom, about my brother. Sa akin po, mas mabigat po ‘yun kapag tungkol sa pamilya ko,” she said.
But she noted that criticisms directed at her personally are easier to handle.
“But if tungkol sa akin lang po, mas kaya ko pong harapin.”
When it comes to bashers, Ford said she only pays attention to criticism that carries substance.
“Kapag alam ko na gusto lang talagang manira or wala namang meaning ‘yung sinasabi nila, dedma na lang po,” she explained.
During the same interview, Estrada also addressed rumors that their family allegedly spent a large amount of money to secure Ford’s victory in ‘Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0’.
Estrada said the family and their close friends simply showed support.
“Effort ‘yun ng buong pamilya at ng close friends. At bakit hindi?” she said.
She added that it is natural for families to support relatives who are competing in contests.
“I think it’s normal for a family to support ang mga kamag-anak na nandiyan sa mga ganyang contest,” Estrada said.
Ford ultimately emerged as the Kapamilya Big Winner of the reality show, while Caprice Cayetano was named the Kapuso Big Winner of the same season.
