Jennylyn Mercado preserving embryo for next baby with Dennis Trillo

Jennylyn Mercado —JENNYLYN MERCADO/ INSTAGRAM

Actress Jennylyn Mercado has admitted that she felt “bothered” when she first read the now-controversial posts on her husband Dennis Trillo’s social media account, which happened some two weeks ago, but immediately dismissed them after learning that it was done by a hacker.

“I was at a pictorial then. I said, ‘What happened here? It’s impossible for Dennis to post this.’ I’ve known him for a long time, and we’ve been together for years. I don’t think he would ever post such things,” Jennylyn recently told reporters during her launch as an ambassador of a skin care brand.

“When I finally spoke to him, he simply laughed it off. He said, ‘Ganoon talaga. What can I do?’ My only advice to him then was, ‘Hirapan mo nga ang password mo!” Jennlyn recalled. Aguila Entertainment, the management agency handling both Dennis’ and Jennylyn’s careers, said the actor’s TikTok account was hacked after drawing criticisms for some comments posted against ABS-CBN. It was supposedly Dennis’ reaction to a question by a TikTok user as to why Jennylyn was not included in GMA 7’s station ID. “I don’t know anything about the process—it was our management that handled it—but Dennis was able to restore his account,” Jennylyn declared.

Asked how the couple is adjusting to raising their child, Dylan, who is now 2, Jennylyn said: “We’re enjoying every minute with her. Dennis is very hands-on. It’s common for Dads to become very focused on being able to provide for their family, but Dennis does both equally. Since Dylan was born, we adapted to a shifting schedule. I take care of Dylan during the day and he lets me sleep at night. He watches over her, and even changes her diapers.”

This was why Jennylyn said she has managed to handle stress effectively. “I got used to it. If you know what I’ve been through in my life, you will understand why I said that. It also helps that Dennis is a good life partner. We have an effective tandem. When he sees that I’m feeling too stressed, he would tell me to relax or sleep. He asks me what I want that he could give me. If I see that he’s stressed, I take over,” she said.

Whenever they have misunderstandings, it’s normal for them to stay in different rooms to be able to let off steam, said Jennylyn. “I will lock myself inside one room while he spends the night in another. We already know how to handle fights. It’s also good that we’ve been together for a long time. Of course, it’s impossible for one to not feel affected. We’re also thankful for people around us who are always ready to help, to calm us down, especially Tita Becky (Aguila).”

No plans

Jennylyn pointed out that they have no plans for another baby any time soon. “I want her to be able to experience childhood with me close by. This is something that I was not able to experience with Jazz (her child with actor Patrick Garcia) because I needed to return to work immediately since I was a single mom. Now, I plan to take time, relax and enjoy being with Dylan while she is still young.

Also at a media gathering, Jennylyn clarified that she and Dennis had no plans to migrate to the United States in 2021. She said they had been trying to have another child since 2018 but were unable to conceive due to fertility issues. “We tried so many times here in the Philippines, but nothing happened. We decided to go abroad to try IVF (in vitro fertilization), because it’s more accepted there compared to here in the Philippines,” she began. “They harvested an egg, developed an embryo, froze it, and stored it. It’s still there up to now. Naunahan na siya ni Dylan. If we decide to have another baby, it’s just there. It’s actually a boy.”

The couple is busy working on their film production outfit called Brightburn Productions. Jennylyn said the goal is to apply what they’ve learned working as actors for over 20 years and come up with projects that they can be really proud of. “We already know how a lot of things work in the industry because we’ve been part of it for so long, so we said, ‘Why don’t we produce our own?’ That is one of the passions I share with Dennis,” she explained.

Full support

“We want to make sure we’re working with good scriptwriters and production people, that a particular project’s release is well-executed and through a platform that we know we can rely on. While we can’t talk about its first project yet, it’s safe to say that GMA 7, our home network, is in full support [of it]. We’re really excited about this,” said Jennylyn.

Speaking of GMA 7, Jennylyn also pointed out that Aguila Entertainment is still negotiating specific details in her network contract and so she is, therefore, a freelancer. The actress also denied rumors that she received an offer to transfer to rival company, ABS-CBN, or that her management company offered her services to them prior to renegotiating with GMA 7. “What I know is that the negotiation has always been with GMA 7 from the start. I’m loyal to my home network. There are just certain things in the contract that are still being discussed,” she pointed out. INQ