Showbiz insider and talent manager Ogie Diaz expressed admiration for former talent Liza Soberano after the actress candidly spoke about the challenges she has encountered while pursuing a career in the United States.
During a recent episode of Edward Barber’s ‘Painfully Human Podcast,’ Liza admitted that she was hurt by comments claiming that her career had declined since relocating to Los Angeles.
“When I first moved to LA, it really hurt me when people would say, ‘Oh, laos na siya. We don’t see her anywhere. Oh, laos na siya. She’s only doing these small influencer gigs,’” Liza shared.
The actress’ remarks became a topic of discussion on the June 19 episode of “Showbiz Updates,” where Diaz commended her for being transparent about her experiences.
“Do’n pa lang sa pagiging honest ni Liza, do’n mo siya pupurihin,” Ogie said.
He noted that despite the criticism directed at the actress, she has remained truthful about her situation.
“Sa kabila ng mga opinyon sa kaniya ng mga tao na, ‘Ay, si Liza, o. Tingnan mo laos na. Naghihirap na. E, kasi naman no’ng araw maayos [at] maganda ‘yong career niya. At sila ni Kathryn Bernardo ‘yong talagang magkalaban or magkaribal sa pagiging sikat,’” he added.
According to Diaz, if Liza is genuinely content with the decisions she has made, then no one should question her chosen path.
“Kung may pera siya o wala, kung pinagme-meet lang niya ang dulo sa dulo para mabuhay, that’s another story. Ang atin ngayon, ‘yong nakikita nating masaya si Liza sa kaniyang ginagawa, hindi natin siya pwedeng kwestiyunin,” he said.
Diaz also stressed that financial success does not always translate to fulfillment.
“Kahit naman may mga artistang ang yaman-yaman, ang dami-daming pera, pero hindi pa rin masaya, ‘di pa rin niya natutupad ang kaniyang dreams sa kabila ng kayamanan niya, e, malungkot pa ring tao ‘yon,” he explained.
Despite the controversies that followed Liza’s departure from Philippine showbiz to pursue opportunities abroad, Diaz believes she can still reconnect with the local audience and eventually make a successful comeback.
“Basta bigyan lang niya ng closure ‘yong mga taong maraming katanungan na ‘Bakit mo sinabi ‘to?’ Ganyan-ganyan. Baka pwede kang mag-apologize kung may nasaktan ka man,” he said.
Liza and Ogie’s relationship became a topic of public discussion in 2023 after the actress revealed in an interview with Boy Abunda that she felt hurt when her former manager described her as “ungrateful” following her decision to leave his management and pursue an international career.
