IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Before Sandro Muhlach, these celebs also braved harassment
Sandro Muhlach with Cherry Pie Picache and Rhian Ramos. Images from Instagram
Trigger warning: mentions of sexual harassment, assault, abuse, violence, and rape
When Sandro Muhlach came out to reveal and file a complaint against his alleged sexual abuser, other celebrities have come forward to open up about their own similar experiences, setting in motion a sort of local #MeToo movement.
Veteran broadcast journalist Arnold Clavio spoke truly when he said that Muhlach’s case is not isolated, and that the showbiz industry must act collectively to prevent sexual harassment among its ranks so that these crimes will no longer be swept under the rug and the offenders would be made answerable for their deeds. But first, the victims must summon the courage to speak up.
Beneath the glitz and glamor of show business, some celebrities suffered in silence, or were silenced by either fear or the repercussions of losing their career. But the likes of Angeli Khang and Gerald Santos bravely fought back and shared their own experiences when they were still helpless and were taken advantage of.
Here are other local and international celebrities who you might not know also went through the same ordeal of being kissed or groped or worse, but have chosen to be more than just part of a statistics of sexual harassment victims.
Article continues after this advertisementRhian Ramos
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In 2016, Rhian Ramos took to Instagram to share her experience of being sexually assaulted by a man at a party in Cebu. “Some guy was out, partying a little too hard, and went up to me and squeezed my rear,” she wrote at the time.
The Kapuso actress said that she immediately told two of her male friends, and they confronted the guy, but he denied the claims. “This made me feel worse,” Ramos expressed. “I always used to think of myself as a strong enough girl that if the day ever came that someone would do this to me, I’d fight back. Honestly, it’s different when you’re already in that situation.”
Ramos shared that the guy apologized only to squeeze her rear again before finally fleeing the place, leaving the actress in complete shock and in tears.
“I couldn’t understand why a man would feel entitled to touch a woman without her consent—to take something from her by force,” she remarked, adding that she was wearing slacks and a loose top that night and that she never even interacted with the guy.
“I realized that even if I had been scantily dressed, it is not the woman’s fault that a guy would treat her that way. That moment, sir, says more about the kind of man that you are,” she stressed.
“The real reason why I need to vent this all out here is because this happens everywhere, all the time, and I want to speak to all of the people that this situation represents,” affirmed the actress as she extended her hopes for sexual and street harassment to be penalized in the country.
Ramos also reminded her fellow women to speak up about being harassed and for men to reflect on their actions.
Michelle Madrigal
Michelle Madrigal revealed in an Instagram post in 2023 that she was a victim of sexual abuse in her younger years.
“This might stir emotions, but I am here to shed light on the issue of child sexual abuse. Those close to me understand that I’m a survivor myself,” she began.
The former actress remarked that her experience resulted in a rebellious phase in her life, given the shame and self-blame.
“Understanding my rebellious phase suddenly made sense. Shame and self-blame consumed me for years. I was angry and indifferent, seeking solace in drugs and alcohol to escape the overwhelming emotions, unworthiness, and fear. I often questioned why it happened to me,” she added.
Madrigal affirmed that she will use her experience to empower others to step forward and begin their healing journey.
“This year, in conversations with women, I was astonished to find that 3 out of 5 had encountered some form of sexual abuse. My purpose in life is clear: to support survivors. I’ve always yearned to use my voice for a greater cause, and my mission is to help one survivor at a time feel acknowledged and secure, reassuring them that their story is significant,” she said
Maggie Wilson
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In 2010, Maggie Wilson shared that she had a traumatic experience when she went to Sanya, China, to represent the Philippines in the Miss World 2007 pageant.
The actress-beauty queen revealed that she was physically harassed by one of the Chinese sponsors of the pageant.
“Hinawakan yung puwet ko, tapos ‘yung ibang girls, dinakma ang boobs. Siyempre, hindi nilabas sa press, kasi nasa kontrata ko, bawal (Somebody pressed my rear, while the other girls had their boobs touched. Of course that did not come out of the press because it was in our contract to not cause a stir),” she detailed at the time.
“Chinese sponsors sila, isang malaking kumpanya. Nabastos ako. Ay, sinampal ko talaga siya, ‘no! Yung humawak sa akin. Sabi ko, ‘Don’t touch me!’Ginanun ko siya,” added Wilson.
(They are Chinese sponsors from a big company. I was violated. So, I slapped him, the one who touched me. I said, ‘Don’t touch me!’ I scolded him.)
Wilson underscored that the Miss World management didn’t do anything about the harassment she and the other girls experienced.
“And naano ako sa kanya dahil wala siyang ginawa para matulungan ako or anything. So, na-put off ako. Tinapos ko siya [the pageant], pero alam ko na noon na ayokong manalo. Kasi yun nga… Yung Miss World din, wala rin silang ginawa. Yung organization mismo, wala rin silang ginawa,” she said.
(I felt let down because they didn’t do anything to help me. So, I was put off. I finished the pageant, but I knew then that I didn’t want to win. Because the Miss World too, they didn’t do anything either. The organization itself didn’t do anything.)
Julia Clarete
Julia Clarete was one of the actresses who came forward to share her experience of being sexually harassed by actor Baron Geisler.
The former “Eat Bulaga” host said in an interview back in 2011 that she decided to be quiet about the incident for a long time because she already felt like she was at a disadvantage at the time.
“Kasi naman, maski nung nabiktima ako ni Baron, parang ang dami-daming mga write-ups, na kung anu-ano nang sinabi [ni Baron] tungkol sa akin. Na hindi naman yata tama, na dada siya nang dada! Nabastos na nga ako, magpapabastos pa ba ako [lalo]? “She lamented.
(Because, even the time that I was victimized by Baron, there seemed to be a lot of write-ups of him saying things about me. It’s not right that he’s been talking bad about me multiple times when I was the one who got violated; should I allow the rudeness to continue?)
Clarete revealed that Geisler touched her inappropriately on the rear and chest and was forced to question herself.
“Kasi, it’s for me also. I should not have put myself in a position where I would be compromised. You don’t know when someone is going to do something bad to you, especially if you’re a good person and you mean well,” she said.
Cherry Pie Picache
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In 2011, Cherry Pie Picache filed a sexual harassment case against Geisler after the latter was accused of touching her breast during the taping of their television series at the time. Reports stated that Geisler was under the influence of alcohol when he decided to grope the seasoned actress.
Picache’s talent manager, Ed Instrella, sent a statement to ABS-CBN, justifying the complaint as a way “to help provide and implement policies to discipline violators and to protect actors as well as production staff members from the same juvenile action.”
Geisler, who remains active in the industry to this day, denied the charges at the time, stressing that he would never do such a thing since he sees Picache as a mother figure.
Yasmien Kurdi
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Another of Geisler’s alleged victims, Yasmien Kurdi filed charges against the actor for acts of lasciviousness and unjust vexation in 2009. According to reports, citing witnesses from the set of their series at the time, “Minanyak si Yasmien. Sinilipan, hinihipuan, tapos nag-masturbate sa harap niya.” (Yasmien was taken advantage of. She was leered at, groped, then he masturbated in front of her.)
At the time, Geisler apologized to the actress and begged for the charges to be dropped. In 2011, Kurdi withdrew the criminal cases she filed against the actor, citing a verse from the Bible, saying that she will pray that Geisler “has truly been rehabilitated and that he will no longer repeat to anyone the unfortunate acts that have led to my filing of the charges.”
Sunshine Cruz
Despite their civil relationship now, Cruz revealed that she had a “dark and chaotic” marriage with her ex-husband, actor Cesar Montano. It can be recalled that the actress filed a lawsuit against Montano after she claimed that he raped her on Mother’s Day 2013.
Aside from rape, Cruz also alleged that she also experienced domestic abuse from the actor. She said that there were three instances of physical abuse: one in July 2009, a second in January 2013, and a third in May 2013.
Angeli Khang
Angeli Khang. Image: Instagram/@angelikhang_
In an interview, Khang admitted that there were times that she felt she was “taken advantage of” while filming love scenes in Vivamax movies, and a lot of times, she “felt violated” as her co-stars tend to go overboard with their actions.
“Yes, a lot; lalo (especially in) na mga last movies ko,” she opened up. “May times na habang nakaplaster natatanggal ‘yung plaster kasi tumitigas tapos bago pa magtake ‘yung director, hinahalikan na ako after mag-take hinahalikan pa rin ako.”
(There were times when the plaster was removed because the [private part] hardened, and then even before scene take, they were already kissing me, and after the director cuts the scene, they’re still kissing me.)
When this happens, Khang said she usually tells the director, but she did not disclose if certain actions were taken for accountability or anything to make her feel more safe in the set.“Nung first sad na sad ako sabi ng mga tao sa industry ganto ‘yan, it’s a form of art, a craft like music, but bakit ‘yung mga masa ganto ‘yung tingin sakin na bold star lang ako, hubadera ako, tingin nila sakin pangit ‘yung ugali ko hindi ako pinalaki ng tama ng family ko,” she expressed.
(At first, I was sad. People in the industry said that’s how it is; it’s a form of art, a craft like music, but why do the masses think that I’m just a bold star, and they assume my behavior is ugly and my family didn’t raise me right?)
Her revelation recently gained the attention of the women’s party-list group Gabriela, which said it will inquire into the matter with the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.
Gerald Santos
Following Sandro Muhlach’s complaint of alleged sexual abuse against GMA’s independent contractors, Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz, Santos also recalled a traumatic experience with another network contractor who sexually harassed him when he was just 15 years old and starting out in showbiz.
“It took four years for me to speak up about this issue, kasi lumala na po nang lumalala ‘yung panggigipit sa akin sa network. Nung ako po ay continuous na nagre-refuse sa taong ito ng kanyang mga advances sa akin, ay palala po nang palala ang aking naging sitwasyon sa network,” he expressed in an episode of his vlog.
Santos lamented how he was “ridiculed, gaslighted,” and was labeled “homophobic” after he revealed being a victim of sexual abuse in 2005. The singer further recalled being told by some to just “move on” because such is supposedly part of being a showbiz personality.
Tom Jones
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In 2017, Tom Jones revealed that he had been sexually harassed early in his career. “At the beginning, yes, there were a few things like that. What’s tried on women is tried on men as well,” he told BBC Radio 4.
“Somebody tried to pull. It was a question, and I said no, thank you. There’s always been that element there that people with power sometimes abuse, but they don’t all abuse it—there are good people,” added the singer.
Tony Goldwyn
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Known for his role in “Scandal,” Tony Goldwyn told “Access Hollywood” that he was sexually harassed on the casting couch when he was younger. The actor said he felt the need to speak up after reading Lupita Nyong’o’s opinion piece in the New York Times, in which she alleged that Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein harassed her, among many others.
“It happened to me as a young guy, when I was literally Lupita’s age. It happened to me by a man, and it wasn’t as extended or awful as what Lupita went through, but it was the same thing. It was the casting couch, and I didn’t understand quite what was going on or what was happening,” the actor opened up at the time.
Taylor Swift
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In 2017, Taylor Swift sued ex-radio host David Mueller for sexual assault and battery. The award-winning singer-songwriter alleged that Mueller groped her at a pre-concert meet-and-greet in June 2013.
After her trial, Swift was awarded a $1 million damages award, yet she solemnly noted that “you don’t feel a sense of victory when you win because the process is so dehumanizing.”
Lady Gaga
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Lady Gaga opened up about being raped as a teenager, noting that the rape had led to a pregnancy. The multi-awarded singer told the BBC in 2016 that she was sexually assaulted by a male music producer when she was only 19 years old.
The rapist allegedly threatened to burn her music if she did not take her clothes off, eventually dropping her “off pregnant on a corner.” Following the assault, she experienced extensive psychological and emotional trauma, leading to a “total psychotic break” and “ultra state of paranoia.”
Jane Fonda
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Over the years, Fonda has been outspoken about her experience as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and rape.
“I’ve been raped; I’ve been sexually abused as a child, and I’ve been fired because I wouldn’t sleep with my boss. I always thought it was my fault that I didn’t do or say the right thing,” shared the veteran actress in an interview.
Given her experience, Fonda founded the Jane Fonda Center for Adolescent Reproductive Health in 2001 as a way to help abuse victims, reminding them that [sexual violence] is not their fault.
“We were violated, and it’s not right,” she affirmed at the time.
Reese Witherspoon
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In 2018, Witherspoon revealed that she has been harassed and sexually assaulted multiple times, including by one director when she was just 16 years old, but was told to remain silent by agents and producers.
“[I feel] true disgust at the director who assaulted me when I was 16 years old and anger at the agents and the producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment. And I wish that I could tell you that was an isolated incident in my career, but sadly, it wasn’t. I’ve had multiple experiences of harassment and sexual assault, and I don’t speak about them very often,” she opened up at the time.
The “Legally Blonde” star noted that she was prompted to speak up after hearing other accounts of sexual assault faced by women in the film industry, especially in the era of the Me Too movement.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, harassment, or violence, you are not alone, and help is available. To speak with someone who is trained to help with these situations, call the NCMH Crisis Hotline: SMART: +63 919-057-1553; GLOBE: +63 966-351-4518; +63 917-899-8727 (USAP).
911, or local police on +63 946 765 7896 (this hotline is available for either male or female adults and children), or the Women and Children Complaints Unit on +63 929 492 6752 and +63 (0)2 8723 0401 local 7296, or chat online at online.rainn.org.
