Xyriel Manabat. Image: Screengrab from YouTube/Star Magic
Xyriel Manabat admitted seeking the help of a therapist to help deal with crude comments about her body, saying that she felt objectified and sexually assaulted on social media.
Manabat spoke up about the criticism and bashers in Star Magic’s “Hot Summer LaHot Sexy” video, which was uploaded on its YouTube channel last Friday, April 28, where she stressed that posting lewd remarks about someone is never okay.
“Minsan, ‘yung iba pong kino-comment-an natin nang ganito, hindi kasing-tibay ng loob ko. Hindi kasing-lakas ng loob ko para lagpasan ‘to. Kahit ako, kapag nakakabasa ako ng mga not-so-nice comments, baka pwedeng huwag niyo po akong mandohan pagdating sa katawan ko,” she said.
“Kung ano pong nakikita niyo, scroll niyo na lang. Huwag na po kayong mag-comment kahit maaari. Huwag niyo pong i-wish na bastusin, tingnan dahil sa body type. Hindi kasi dun nababase kung babastusin or what. Hindi body type ng tao ang maga-adjust, kundi ‘yung utak niyo,” she further added.
The actress also recalled a time where bashers would go out of their way to post edited photos of herself on social media to make it seem more vulgar among netizens.
“May mga nakikita akong ginagamit ‘yung picture ko tapos ie-edit nila na parang nakahawak sila sa private part ko, ganoon. And minsan yung mga comment dun, parang vina-validate nila na, ‘E, kasi ganyan naman ang suot, e.’ Jina-justify nila na, ‘Kamanyak-manyak naman kasi talaga eh,” she added.
The “Dirty Linen” star stressed that she had to seek therapy to learn how to deal with bashers and perverted naysayers on social media.
“Binabastos po kasi nila ako and ino-objectify. Sine-sexual assault nila ako in a way. Hindi po ‘yun dapat pinapalagpas, [pero] na-overcame ko po siya. Gumawa po kami ng legal action and nag-therapy po ako sa mga ganun kong nababasa and nakikita kasi kailangan kong i-prioritize ang mental health ko. Hindi po talaga helpful ang mga ganoon,” she said.
The former child actress also shared that she was only 16 years old when she received lewd comments over a photo of herself wearing a t-shirt back in September 2020.
“‘Yung picture ko na nakasuot naman ako ng T-shirt tapos shorts, actually ‘yung t-shirt na yon medyo manipis. So ang ginawa ko, nagsuot po ako ng sando sa loob pero hindi ko po nakikita kung bakit nil jina-justify na kabastos-bastos siya,” she said.
“And minor po ako nung naranasan ko ito. I was 16 nung naranasan ko ito,” she pointed out.
During the video, Manabat hoped that there would come a time that people would educate themselves when it comes to objectifying people on social media.
“Bakit hindi lang nila i-correct na kahit kailan hindi magiging tama ang pag-o-objectify ng tao, babae man o lalake? Minor man o hindi? Marami akong binangga tungkol d’un kasi ayoko ng nagpapatalo ako kapag ako ‘yung nasa tama,” she stated.
It can be recalled that Manabat said at an ambush interview in April 2023 that she’s open to taking on daring roles in the future, as long as it’s relevant to the story or character.
“If magpapa-sexy lang [ako] and walang relevance sa story or kind of character sa role, then it’s a no. Kung hindi naman kailangan [magpa-sexy], then I don’t see the need to do so,” she stated.
The actress stars as Tonet in “Dirty Linen,” which marks her comeback project in showbiz after a two-year hiatus. EDV