Maris Racal addressed the cheating rumors linking her to her co-star and onscreen partner, Anthony Jennings, following the release of controversial screenshots by Jennings' ex-girlfriend on her Instagram story last Tuesday night.
Racal, in a video released by ABS-CBN News on Friday, "spoke from the heart" and stated that she is taking accountability for her actions.
"Today, I will take accountability for everything. Nagkamali ako and I want to say sorry for everything that I've done," Racal mentioned.
The actress revealed that it all began in June 2024, during a time when she was in a "very dark place" and found solace in the attention she received from Jennings.
"When I sensed that there was this brewing attraction between Anthony and I, nadala ako sa emotions ko and I knew that was wrong," said Racal.
"I came clean right away. I told my ex everything and I admitted things to him and then we broke up. It wasn't easy. It was very hard for me too," she added.
She also admitted that when she announced her breakup with her ex, Rico Blanco, during an interview, she was concealing the truth.
Racal shared that she told Jennings she had already broken up with Blanco, and Jennings allegedly said the same about his situation. She mentioned that she felt lonely and vulnerable during that time, and since she worked with Jennings every day, she eventually developed feelings for her co-star.
"He would be very sweet to me. He would be such a gentleman to me. He would say things to me. He would kiss me on the set, in front of other people. He would tell all the people who were close to me that he was single so I was confident to act a certain way around him on the set because in the eyes of the people there, we were both single," Racal recounted.
She then detailed the events surrounding the Instagram story at the airport that led to Jennings' ex, Jamela Villanueva, reposts on TikTok.
"September came, we went to Italy for our shoot sa teleserye namin na Incognito and that doon nagstart na naging deep 'yung pagkakilala namin sa isa't-isa. I really fell. Noong pauwi na kami ng Italy, it was my birthday and we were stuck at the airport the whole day," Racal said.
"He would say things to me that are sweet. We would tell promises to each other and then noong pauwi na ng Italy, I felt so happy that I had to post something on my IG story just to appreciate him during that day," she added.
Racal furthered that when she saw the reposts from Jennings' ex, she reached out to him to ask how Villanueva was doing, not because she knew they were still together, but because she was aware that she was going through something.
"I would ask him. God knows I asked him. 'Nagkabalikan ba kayo?' He said no," she added.
Following a wave of backlash on TikTok, Maris asked Jennings when he would release a statement about his breakup with Villanueva. She reportedly asked him repeatedly, and his constant response was that he was waiting for the right time.
When Jennings finally released his statement, Racal said it was too late, as she had already begun to distance herself romantically from her co-star.
She thought everything would be fine until Jennings' ex suddenly posted an Instagram story, which included a screenshot of the conversation between the two artists.
"When I read it, I was gutted. I was shocked, I was truly embarrased dahil nakita ng tao lahat 'yon without my consent - against my will," she said.
"Doon ko napagtagpi-tagpi lahat na kaya pala hindi siya makapag-release ng statement dahil sila pa pala this whole entire time. I didn't know, I was in the dark," she added.
The actress apologized to the public for the "very intimate side" of herself that was revealed, explaining that it's simply how she expresses love. Furthermore, she also apologized to those she may have hurt.
She then apologized to the people who have supported her for 10 years in the industry, emphasizing that her supporters know how hard she worked to build her career.
"I don't know saan ako papunta. 'Yung dignidad ko hindi ko na mahanap. Whenever I go out whenever I walk I feel like a woman naked. Hindi ko alam ano gagawin ko. I'm so embarrassed and I'm sorry you get to see that," she added.
Amid the controversy, the actress promised to keep going, asserting that she is "simply human".
Racal and Jennings made waves with their tandem as Irene and Snoop in the series "Can’t Buy Me Love".
The two are also part of the upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival entry "And the Breadwinner Is...", starring Vice Ganda.
They are currently working together on a new teleserye, "Incognito", alongside Richard Gutierrez, Ian Veneracion, Baron Geisler, Kaila Estrada, and Daniel Padilla.
Racal began her career in 2014 when she joined Pinoy Big Brother: All In. She finished as the second runner-up in the reality show's grand finale and subsequently entered the entertainment industry.
