Dustin Yu has addressed the speculation surrounding an old Twitter interaction that recently resurfaced on social media, saying his comment from around five years ago was simply a joke and had no other intention behind it.

The actor issued a statement on X after netizens began circulating screenshots of his old interactions on the platform, including a reply to an account that is now reportedly associated with adult content.

According to Dustin, he was informed about the issue while he was in a lock-in shoot for a film.

“Hi! I’m doing a film right now, nasa lock-in taping ako and walang halos signal. I was told that I’m being dragged regarding something I commented years ago,” he began.

Dustin said he initially chose not to respond but eventually decided to clarify the matter because the speculation had begun affecting people close to him.

“Nung una, I didn’t really mind cos I’m more focused on the good days, plus I’m very much happy with my life right now. But I decided to speak up for the sake of my loved ones, while making sure to do so with respect for the LGBT community,” he said.

The interaction reportedly dates back to 2021, long before Dustin’s recent rise in popularity.

Dustin explained that he replied to the account because people were tagging him at the time and that his response was intended as a joke.

“I replied to a comment on that account maybe around 5 years ago as a joke and simply to interact with people who were tagging me. Wala akong ibang intention behind it,” he clarified.

He also claimed that he only recently learned that the account had since changed its identity and the type of content it publishes.

“Ngayon ko lang nalaman na nagpalit na pala ng account at content yung account na yun, and unfortunately, may mga taong ginagamit ngayon yung old comment ko para gawan ng ibang storya at i-drag ako,” Dustin said.

The resurfaced reply prompted various interpretations from netizens, with some attaching sexual meaning to the exchange and using it to speculate about the actor’s sexuality.

Dustin, however, maintained that the interaction was being taken beyond what he intended when he originally posted it.

“I know what I meant when I said it, and I won’t let someone twist an old interaction into something it was never meant to be. I’m sharing this simply to set the record straight,” he stressed.

Rather than engage further with the speculation, Dustin appealed for people to be more careful about creating narratives based on old social media activity.

“Moving forward, sana mas piliin na lang natin maging positive and kind. We may not always agree or understand each other, but I hope we can choose to be kinder instead of creating stories that can hurt someone,” he said.

He ended his statement with a message for those who continue to criticize or make stories about him.

“And to those who continue to drag me, I genuinely hope you find something else that brings you happiness and makes you smile. Nakakalungkot lang isipin na kailangan pang sirain o saktan yung ibang tao para may mapagtawanan o maging masaya,” he wrote.

“I hope you find happiness that doesn’t have to come at someone else’s expense.”

Dustin’s old Twitter activity also shows that he frequently interacted with users who tagged him during that period, providing additional context to his explanation that the resurfaced reply was part of his casual interactions with followers at the time.