Maris Racal has released a heartfelt statement addressing the controversy surrounding her relationship with co-star Anthony Jennings. In an emotional admission, Racal recounted her journey through vulnerability, mistakes, and self-reflection, taking accountability for her actions and expressing remorse to those she hurt.
“Today, I will be speaking from my heart. Lahat ng sasabihin ko maraming galing sa puso ko. Today, I will take accountability for everything. Nagkamali ako and I want to say sorry for everything that I have done,” Racal began.
The actress revealed that the situation began in June 2024, during a difficult period in her life. “I was in a very dark place. I was lonely. And I was getting attention…the kind of attention that I needed. When I sensed there was this brewing attraction between Anthony and I, nadala ako sa emotions ko,” she said, admitting she came clean to her ex-partner and ended their relationship.
A timeline of events
Racal shared that her connection with Jennings deepened during their work on the series Incognito. They spent significant time together, including a pivotal trip to Italy. “We were working every day… At sa lahat ng trabaho na yun, kasama ko si Anthony. Aaminin ko, sa araw-araw na punta trabaho namin, nahulog din yung loob ko,” she said.
The controversy escalated when Jennings’ non-showbiz girlfriend, Jamela Villanueva, posted on social media, leading to waves of online backlash. Racal detailed her repeated attempts to clarify the situation. “I begged him to fix this because I was so tired of getting bashed. He said wait. He’s waiting for the right moment,” she revealed.
Racal said she only learned the full truth when screenshots of Jennings’ conversations surfaced. “I was gutted. I was shocked… Doon ko napagtagpitagpi lahat na kaya pala hindi siya makapag-release ng statement dahil sila pa pala this whole entire time,” she admitted.
Understanding Villanueva’s reaction, Racal said, “Now I get her. I get her pain, her wrath, her anger. Kaya pala ganun.”
Apologies and moving forward
Racal extended her apologies to Villanueva and the public, expressing embarrassment over how her private emotions were exposed. “I’m sorry that you got to see that very intimate side of me… Ganun talaga ako pag nagbigay ng pagmamahal. It was supposed to be private,” she said.
She also apologized to her fans, who have supported her career for over a decade. “Alam nila lahat na ginapang ko yung career ko. Ginawa ko lahat. Pinaghirapan ko lahat sa tulong nila,” she said.
Despite her regret, Racal vowed to persevere. “Tuloy pa rin ang laban. Magtatrabaho pa rin ako kahit mahirap. Hindi pa rin namamatay yung apoy sa puso ko,” she declared.
Ending her statement with introspection, Racal said, “What you saw was not a perfect human. I’m far, far from being perfect… I’m just a human being.”
