Celebrity couple Jessy Mendiola and Luis Manzano have revealed a difficult chapter in their marriage during a “Truth or Dare” challenge in the actress’ latest vlog.
In the challenge, Jessy was asked to describe a time when they almost ended their relationship.
The couple candidly shared that they almost broke up early in their marriage due to toxic influences surrounding Luis.
She revealed, “‘Yun ‘yung time na may mga tao sa paligid niya na talagang hindi okay.”
Luis added, “Nasama ’ko sa issue,” recalling that the trouble started shortly after their intimate civil wedding in February 2021.
“Kakakasal lang namin nu’n, actually. The next day, inaway-away ako nung taong ‘yun. Ayun pala, kaya pala siya galit na galit sa’kin kasi may tinatago pala siyang sikreto na karumal-dumal,” Mendiola recalled her unpleasant interaction with Luis’ friend whose identity was not disclosed.
“Du’n ko na naaamoy na, ’May something ’tong taong ’to, bakit parang galit na galit siya na kinasal kami?'” Jessy explained her gut feeling.
She shared how she confronted Luis about noticing troubling actions from certain people in his circle.
“Alam mo, itong dalawang ’to, parang may something sa kanila, parang hindi sila okay for you. Parang hindi sila good for our family, and of course, lahat ng mga pinaghirapan mo, masisira,” she told Luis.
The actress expressed frustration when Luis initially refused to believe Jessy’s concerns and warnings and still sided with his friends, which led to heated arguments between them.
“Ayaw talaga niya patibag. Inaaway talaga niya ako. Kulang na lang kampihan niya yung mga taong yun,” Jessy described Luis’ reaction at the time.
She even started to question why her husband wasn’t trusting her judgment as his spouse, “So ako, parang sabi ko, ‘Teka lang, ako yung asawa, di ba, bakit parang hindi niya ako pinapaniwalaan?'”
Jessy went on to emphasize that a spouse should be listened to when they have concerns for the well-being of the family.
“Tandaan niyo, guys, na ang asawa niyo, sila talaga ang magbe-break or make sa inyo. Kaya kailangan, ang mga babae, kapag may nararamdaman sila about you or sa paligid niyo, dapat pakinggan niyo. Kasi, for your own good ‘yon.”
After a serious conversation, Jessy realized that Luis wasn’t yet ready to fully prioritize their family over his friendships.
“‘Nung sinabi ko sa kanya, nagagalit pa siya sa akin, tapos hindi niya ako pinapansin. Ang sabi niya sa akin, ‘Mali ka, matagal ko na silang kilala. Halos kababata ko sila, part of the family sila.’
“So ako, [sabi ko] hindi ba ako part ng family? Tapos nanghihingi na rin siya sa akin ng anak nun, sabi ko, ‘No, hindi ka pa ready maging tatay.'”
She eventually gave him an ultimatum to choose between their family or friends, admitting that she had even considered ending the relationship.
“Sinabi ko sa kanya […] either pilin mo yung pamilya mo or sige, pilin mo ‘yung mga kaibigan mo na hindi okay para sayo.”
Seeking advice, Jessy turned to Luis’ mother, Vilma Santos, who encouraged her to be patient and think carefully before making any final decisions.
“Nagpaalam na talaga ako kay Momskie no’n, sabi ko, ‘Momskie, hindi ko na po talaga kaya, mahal ko po kayo pero hindi na po ako pinapakinggan ng asawa ko.'”
Eventually, Luis realized the impact of the situation and apologized to Jessy, and the couple worked through their differences.
Now, three years into their marriage and with a daughter, Rosie, the couple has grown stronger despite the challenges they faced.
Reflecting on the experience, Jessy expressed a sense of vindication after it was eventually revealed that her suspicions were correct.
“I got vindicated in the end kasi kumbaga lumabas na nga ‘yung totoo na hindi talaga sila okay and maraming nawala din kay Howhow (Luis), marami ding nasira. Kapag pamilya ko kasi ‘yung ginalaw niyo, gagawin ko talaga ang lahat para malabas yung totoo.”
Jessy, who was dealing with postpartum emotions at the time, said the situation was emotionally overwhelming to the point that she wanted to leave their relationship.
“Grabe, postpartum ako, tapos lumabas pa ‘yon, ang bigat sa pakiramdam. Ayun ‘yung feeling na may pinagdaraanan ‘yung asawa mo, tapos ‘yung pamilya mo, e, talagang nagulo.”
She added, “’Yung feeling, parang gusto mo na lang talaga [siyang] iwan. Pero oo nga pala, kasal nga pala tayo. Hindi tayo puwedeng basta-basta maghiwalay. I guess, ginawa ‘yon ni Lord para mas mapalakas yung relationship [namin] sa isa’t isa.”
Jessy did not specify the identities of Luis’ friends in question, but the incident seemed to coincide with legal issues surrounding a close friend of the actor-host who was involved in a Syndicated Estafa complaint against Flex Fuel earlier in 2023.
Luis, who reportedly lost P66 million, is among the complainants in the case. He was later cleared by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of involvement as he had resigned from the company in 2021 before the scam occurred.
