BB Gandanghari | Image: Screengrab from YouTube/Fast Talk
As she celebrated the 16th year since she first came out as a transgender woman, BB Gandanghari looked back on the friends she lost along her journey, saying they couldn’t understand her decision to undergo the transition.
“Maraming nawala. Marami kasing nagtampo dahil part of my transition was actually to isolate myself. So maraming hindi nakaintindi roon sa isolation ko,” she recently opened up on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” adding that until now those people still can’t understand her.
Despite the falling out, Gandanghari stressed that she holds no ill feelings toward the people who decided to leave her behind.
“I understand. Kasi hindi naman nila alam ‘yung pinagdadaanan ko. Siguro parang akala lang nila, akala lang na marami is, ‘she just disappeared,’ dahil hindi na tayo kilalang lahat. But on the contrary, it’s really part of the transition,” she stated.
Gandanghari also shared that singer Pops Fernandez was one of those friends who decided to stay beside her: “Si Pops is there, and it proved to be na talagang meron kaming tampuhan, but she understood all the way. Marami rin kasi kaming pinagdaanan.”
When asked about her relationship with her family, specifically actor-politician Robin Padilla, who was initially against her transition, Gandanghari emphasized that he treats her like a real sister now.
“Ngayon ang relasyon ko kay Robin ay brother and sister. Ramdam na ramdam ko ‘yan, naka pila kami, ladies first. Nagpunta kami sa mosque sa Taiwan, naka hijab akong pumasok doon bilang babae. He’s treating me as a sister now, mas batang kapatid,” she shared.
Gandanghari also stated that she has good relationships with Padilla’s wife, Mariel Rodriquez, and with her niece Kylie Padilla and nephew Daniel Padilla.
Gandanghari, who’s based in Los Angeles, is currently visiting her family in the Philippines. They recently enjoyed a trip to Taiwan.
In 2022, Gandanghari officially became an American citizen and is currently enrolled as a student at the Los Angeles Film School in California, pursuing a second degree. She says she wants to work in production in the near future.
After coming out as a transgender woman in 2009, Gandanghari requested to have a Los Angeles court legally recognize her gender as female and officially have her name changed from Rustom Padilla to BB Gandanghari; her petition was granted in 2016.