Diana Zubiri. Images: Screengrab from YouTube/Boss Toyo Production
Diana Zubiri looked back at her controversial photoshoot for a men’s magazine — where she donned skimpy clothing along the EDSA-Shaw flyover — as she sold a copy to Boss Toyo.
Zubiri was featured on the channel of content creator-entrepreneur Jayson Luzadas, or Boss Toyo, as she visited the latter’s shop to sell memorabilia featuring herself, including copies of the now-defunct FHM Philippines.
One of the memorabilia includes her controversial October 2002 shoot when she was “around 18 or 19.” The shoot featured a photo of herself donning a bikini top and boyshorts on the EDSA-Shaw flyover.
But according to the former sexy star, she originally wore a two-piece bikini but had the bottoms edited to make it seem she wore boyshorts instead.
“Nag-shoot kami sa EDSA, sa Mandaluyong, ‘yung flyover… noong nag-shoot kami dito, nakabikini ako talaga. So noong nagalit sila at nagkaroon ng issue, hindi ko raw pwedeng ilabas ang totoong suot. So inedit nila,” she said. “Naka-bikini talaga ako.”
(When we had a shoot on EDSA in Mandaluyong, I was wearing a bikini along the flyover. But things got heated up and there was an issue, I couldn’t show what I actually wore at the time. So it was edited. I was really wearing a bikini.)
The photoshoot led then-mayor of Mandaluyong Benhur Abalos to lodge cases against Zubiri and the staff of the men’s magazine, and according to Zubiri, were “hearings” were held about the matter.
The controversy was eventually put to rest after both sides agreed to have the bottoms edited in the final release. A public apology was also issued.
When Zubiri asked Boss Toyo about his offer, the latter sought the help of his colleague, who estimated that one signed magazine ranges from P5,000 to P10,000.
This led Boss Toyo to start the bid at P5,000. Zubiri, however, argued that she came from Australia to sell the memorabilia, which made the price go up to P20,000. The “Encantadia” star and Boss Toyo eventually sealed the deal at $400 (approximately P 23,417).
Zubiri also clarified that the original files of her October 2002 photoshoot belonged to the men’s magazine when Boss Toyo pointed out that selling the “raw file” and the story behind it “costs more money.”
“Ang deal ko sa kanila is gagawin ko ang photoshoot kapag may [Nokia] 6750, ‘yung unang cellphone na may camera… ‘yan ‘yung parang gift nila sa’kin,” said Zubiri. “Nasa FHM [‘yung original photos]… Pag-aari nila ‘yun kaya hindi pwedeng basta-bastang i-release.”
(My deal with them at the time was I would do the photoshoot if they would give me a Nokia 6750, a phone with a camera. That was their gift to me. The original photos are with FHM. It’s not allowed to be released. The magazine owns them, so they won’t release them.)
Zubiri also said she had no regrets starting as a sexy star because it opened more doors for her. “Sandali ko lang siya ginawa tapos ‘yun ang naging stepping stone para magkaroon ako ng big opportunity sa show biz (I did it for a short time, and it was my stepping stone to more opportunities in show biz).”
The former sexy star also looked back at her controversial shoot in a “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” interview in November 2023, saying it was a dare with her former manager.