Andrea Brillantes bares having no sense of smell: ‘Di complete ‘yung life experience ko’
Andrea Brillantes. Image: screengrab from YouTube/Andrea B.
Days after recalling an ex-boyfriend’s soiled laundry, Andrea Brillantes opened up about having no sense of smell and lamented how it prevents her from having a “complete life experience.”
Brillantes spoke about her congenital anosmia during a “Never Have I Ever” game with comedian Vice Ganda, as seen in a vlog on the actress’ YouTube channel on Sunday, July 23.
According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, congenital anosmia is a “condition in which people are born with a lifelong inability to smell.”
In the game that was uploaded on Vice Ganda’s vlog, the actors were given statements which they would label as “never” if they have never done it, and “I have” if they already have done it in the past. If they answered “I have,” they would have to eat one of the ingredients in front of them, which include ginger, garlic, pepper and lemon.
“Bakit ang hilig mo sa mga pampabaho ng bungaga?” Vice Ganda asked during the game. (Why do you like ingredients that would make your mouth smell bad?)
“Alam niyo po ba, wala akong pang-amoy. Pinanganak po akong walang pang-amoy, kaya hindi ko po alam na mabaho pala ito,” the actress answered.
(Do you know that I do not have a sense of small? I was born without the ability to smell, that’s why I do not know that these ingredients smell bad.)
The comedian then asked Brillantes how she feels being diagnosed with the said condition.
“Iniyak ko na ‘yon dati kasi sabi daw wala itong cure. Syempre malungkot—parang hindi complete ‘yung life experience ko,” Brillantes said. “Hindi ko maaamoy ‘yung mga nakita kong artista.”
(I cried over it because I was told that it has no cure. Of course it’s sad because my life experience is not complete. I cannot smell the celebrities I meet.)
Incidentally, Brillantes, whose split with basketball player Ricci Rivero was recently confirmed, earlier advised her supporters to think of certain turn-offs when it comes to moving on after a breakup. She disclosed that in her case, it was an ex’s year’s worth of soiled laundry, without mentioning anyone’s name in particular.
“Gusto ko lang sabihin, minsan, kung hirap kang mag-move on, kailangan mo talagang isipin ang mga bagay na, ‘Talaga ba? Iiyakan ko ba ‘yung lalaking hindi nagpapa-laundry nang isang taon?’ Gan’un,” she said.
(I just want to say that if you’re struggling to move on from an ex, you really have to ponder what turns you off about them like, “Really? Do I have to cry about a man who doesn’t do his laundry for a year?” Just like that.)
Badmouthing fellow celebrities
Meanwhile, Brillantes also underscored that she has never gone out of her way to speak ill of her fellow celebrities, saying she would only “speak [her] truth” if others asked it from her.
“Never have I ever nanira ng kapwa artista? Ako, never,” Brillantes declared. “I only speak my truth if ever, like, tatanungin ako pero I never go out of my way para sabihin na, ‘Ito, ganyan siya’ kahit hindi naman talaga.”
(Never have I ever badmouthed fellow celebrities? I have never. I only speak my truth if someone asks it from me but I never go out of my way to say, “Someone’s like this or that” when it’s not true.)
“Mas maganda ‘yung sinisiraan nila tayo (It’s more acceptable if they were the one badmouthing us),” Vice Ganda continued, to which Brillantes agreed, “Oo, pero tayo wala, kebs lang.” (Yes and as for us, we do not care.)
Brillantes then appeared to have intrigued the comedian after the latter asked if she already experienced being badmouthed by a fellow celebrity.
“Ay yes,” Brillantes answered, laughing.
Brillantes opted not to name the celebrity she was referring to, but she hinted that it’s someone acquainted with Vice Ganda.
Stereotype among basketball players
At the latter part of the game, Brillantes and Vice Ganda also talked about their dating experiences after they chanced upon the statement: “Never have I ever nagkajowa ng basketbolista.” (Never have I ever had a basketball player as a boyfriend.)
“Never,” Brillantes stated sarcastically.
“Kung never ka, mas never ako, day!” Vice Ganda said in a forceful manner, tearing the paper with the word “NEVER” into pieces. (If you never had such, then that would also be the case for me, friend!)
Brillantes followed suit and also tore up the paper she was holding, eliciting laughter among the staff behind the camera.
Vice Ganda, in a more serious tone, then clarified that his partner Ion Perez is a basketball player. This led Brillantes to ask if Perez fits the description of a stereotypical image of a basketball player.
“‘Yung stereotype sa basketball player ‘di ba [is] manloloko sila, madami silang chicks, babae-babae-babae—masasabi niyo pong hindi gano’n si Ion?” the actress asked. (The stereotype among basketball players is that they are cheaters and womanizers, right? Can you say that Ion is not like that?)
“Grabe ‘yung iniwan nilang impression sa’yo, ‘no?” Vice Ganda quipped. “But to be fair, hindi naman natin pwedeng i-generalize. Iba’t iba naman—may mababait, may mamalas-malasing kang not-so. Wala naman sa trabaho ‘yan.”
(They have left quite an impression on you, haven’t they? But to be fair, we should not generalize. There are some [basketball players] who are kind, while there are some who are not so. It has nothing to do with what their jobs are.)
Brillantes once again agreed with the comedian as she recalled an advice she recently heard: “Hate the player, not the game.” EDV
