Issa Pressman —ISSA PRESSMAN/INSTAGRAM
Issa Pressman, who confessed to having had a rough 2023, said she is able “to breathe better now.”
This was because the 26-year-old celebrity is now a lot more comfortable talking publicly about her romantic relationship with singer-actor James Reid. “I’m able to relax now, and I feel relief. Last year was quite tough. I couldn’t sleep. One day, I’ll be able to open up about it also, but now I just feel happy that there’s more love around,” she told reporters who attended the special advance screening of the horror-romance Hollywood film “Lisa Frankenstein.”
James, under his company Careless, handles the career of Liza Soberano, who is a major cast member of this film by Zelda Williams.
More love
“Because there’s more love in me, I get to express more love around, also. It’s just going to be all about love from now on,” Issa declared, who added that her relationship with James is “doing great … Our bonding moments are all about music, art, fashion and work, as well as workouts and morning walks. We have so many things in common.”
Netizens criticized Issa and blamed her for the breakup of James and Nadine Lustre. Shortly after, James got romantically linked to Liza while the two of them were already dating. “My biggest takeaway is that if you’re going through something difficult in life, you really have to love yourself first, so that you see the world with love. No matter how much hate, negativity or many struggles you face, if you have love, everything else will flow with love,” she pointed out. “As for the rumor about James and Liza, I only knew of it after it died down. I was never into the latest ‘chismis,’ so I wasn’t aware. In show biz, everyone gets linked to everyone, anyway.”
Pressman (left) and James Reid in Milan
Issa said she used to feel uncomfortable facing the local media. “I remember that my hands would feel sweaty. This was because (before I dated James) my relationships had always been very private,” she explained. She added that she was grateful to James, who supported her in the middle of all the negativity. “I don’t think I’d be able to go through all of this if it weren’t for him and the support, the security that he is able to give. Not everyone knows that he is very wise. The words that he gives are really fulfilling. You’ll feel safe, no matter the negativity. He will really show you how to see things in a positive way.”
Working behind camera
It also helped that she doesn’t have accounts on Facebook and Twitter. “On Instagram, all direct messages are blocked. I’m protected. Fortunately, I’m not into reading comments. I don’t put my energy into that. I can’t control how they want to speak or what they want to say, but what I can control is how I accept those things,” she explained.
Unlike her big sister Yassi, Issa said she prefers to work behind the camera. “I stopped acting because I wanted to go back to school. I was in and out of it, but then, I later realized that it’s not really my thing. I’m down to producing, to being a creative director. I want to be the one handling things. That’s the main difference between me and my sister. I don’t see myself acting anytime soon, even with James,” she said.
In fact, Issa said negotiations are ongoing for her to have an executive position in James’ company, Careless. “It’s in the talks. They’ve been inviting me, and I said I would love to do it. That’s where my heart is. I want to create, and if it’s creating for the family, why not?”
She was present at the “Lisa Frankenstein” screening to support fellow Careless artist Liza. “When one Careless artist has a gig, we support. If one has a shoot in the studios, we support, too. Liza deserves all of this because you can see her dedication and hard work. She looks great onscreen. Just like me, every Filipino is so proud of her,” Issa said.