Anthony Jennings has spoken out about the controversy he faced alongside former onscreen partner Maris Racal, which stemmed from a highly publicized cheating scandal involving his then-girlfriend Jamela Villanueva.
Entertainment journalist and online personality Ogie Diaz caught up with Anthony at the trailer launch of his upcoming series Nurse the Dead, where the actor reflected on the ordeal and what came after.
Anthony said he had to move on and keep going — largely because, as he put it, he had bills to pay.
“Siyempre ako okay naman na ako. Naka-move on na ako sa nangyari na ‘yun. And I think yeah, ‘yung buhay tuloy-tuloy lang. You gotta live because you have bills to pay,” he shared.
“So you just gotta accept kung ano ‘yung mga nasa harap mo and go through with it. That’s how life is,” he added.
When asked if he ever feared losing his career as a result of the controversy, he admitted that he did.
“Siyempre papasok sa utak mo ‘yun. Andun ka sa sitwasyon na nandon ka na eh [sa peak ng career]. Then suddenly, daming nawala sa’yo. But it’s okay. Alam ko naman kung ano ‘yung ginawa ko,” he said.
Despite that, he said he couldn't be happier now that he gets to show up for work every day.
“I’m slowly picking up right now. Ngayon naman okay naman eh. I have tapings, I have work. I’m still doing my best. And kailangan kong maging magaling din.
He added: “Kasi it’s not about me, it’s about the audience — ano ‘yung gusto nilang makita.”
“Proud lang ako na nagagawa ko ‘to every day in my life — na natataguyod ko ‘yung every day ko. I’m just happy. Madali naman akong makuntento na tao eh,” he continued.
He also revealed that everyone involved has since moved on, adding that the past is firmly behind them.
“Yeah. Okay na kaming lahat. Everyone is okay now. Everyone is past that now. Pinagsisihan ko naman ‘yung mga bagay-bagay,” he said.
On facing everything head-on, Anthony said he knew there was no escaping it — so he chose to speak up and set the record straight.
“Hindi mo matatakasan ‘yun. Kaya nga ang buhay may pagbabago ‘di ba? We learn new stuff, we change,” he shared.
While he acknowledged having regrets, he said they are part of life and credited the experience with helping him grow.
“May mga regrets ka talaga na ‘di mo na mababalikan pero part ng buhay mo ‘yun eh. Du’n ka mag-gu-grow, di ba?” he noted.
The controversy took a toll on his mental health, but Anthony said he's simply glad he was able to get through it.
“First few months, kailangan mo talagang pagsisihan ‘yung mga ganu’ng bagay. Masisira talaga nu’n ‘yung takbo ng buhay mo, ng mental [health] mo,” he said.
“Ngayon, okay na okay na talaga ako. I had a hard time. Those were hard days. Kailangan kong harapin ‘yun. I’m just happy na nalagpasan ko siya,” he added.
The Can't Buy Me Love actor also shared the key lesson he took away from the experience: he made sure he would never find himself in that position again.
“‘Yung mga bagay na dumampi na sa’yo. ‘Di mo na pwedeng balikan. ‘Di mo na pwedeng hawakan ‘yung mga ganu’ng klaseng bagay kasi nag-agrabyado ka na sa buhay mo. Dumaan ka na dun, ‘wag mo nang pagdaanan ulit,” he said.
On a lighter note, Anthony discussed his role as Grim in Nurse the Dead, revealing that he drew inspiration from Brad Pitt's portrayal of the Grim Reaper in Meet Joe Black while preparing for the part.
Nurse the Dead is an upcoming supernatural comedy-drama series filmed in the United States, aimed at both Filipino and Filipino-American audiences.
The series stars Jelynn Malone and features beloved Filipino personalities now based in the US, including Ruby Rodriguez and Tootsie Guevarra.
It premieres on iWant on June 12.
—by Paolo Lim