(From left) Fumiya Sankai, Tiktok content creator Kenji. Images: Instagram/@fumiya.japan, Screengrab from Tiktok/@fumiyaontiktok
Former “Pinoy Big Brother” (PBB) housemate and Japanese vlogger Fumiya Sankai has set the record straight on his relationship status, as well as his sexual orientation.
It can be recalled that Sankai caught the attention of eagle-eyed netizens last Jan. 7, after he uploaded a video of himself participating on the “Last Christmas” dance trend with a mysterious man behind him on Tiktok. His supporters went on to presume that he was dancing with his boyfriend in the video, as it garnered over five million views and 290,000 likes.
Some netizens speculated that the Japanese vlogger was indeed in a relationship with the man, while others assumed that he’s a member of the LGBTQ community. Others also pointed out that Sankai appeared to have liked the comments about the man.
Sankai then clarified in a follow-up video on Tuesday, Jan. 10, that the mysterious man, whom he tagged as Kenji, was just a friend.
“I thought it was [trending] because my dance was very nice… no, I respect LGBT. Pero (but) I’m very straight. We’re very straight, diba (right),” he said, as the video showed Sankai with Kenji.
@fumiyanotiktok Kami ba talaga???? #fumiya #fumiyalangsapatna #japanese @Kenji ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – Fumiya
Former PBB housemate Lou Yanong and Sankai’s fans expressed their support for the Japanese vlogger in the comments.
“Do you know the amount of messages [I received] asking me haha – miss you Humi,” Yanong said.
“Bat kase liked by creator yung comments about ‘is dat your boyfriend?’ sa video [emojis] na-confuse tuloy kami,” a fan said.
(Why were the comments asking, “Is that your boyfriend,” liked by the creator on Tiktok? We got confused.)
“Sana malinaw na sa mga pala desisyon sa buhay ng ibang tao (We hope that it’s clear to those who love to make decisions about someone else’s lives). We love you Fumi,” another fan wrote.
Image: Screengrab from Tiktok/@fumiyaontiktok
Sankai gained attention through his YouTube channel FumiShun Base where he shares his experiences in the Philippines. However, he’s been on hiatus from uploading videos on the platform since September 2020.
The Japanese vlogger gained recognition after joining PBB in 2019, where he finished as the show’s fifth big placer. He was included in Newsweek Japan’s “100 Respectable Japanese” list in August 2021. /ra
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