Kylie Padilla on seeing her sisters-Sang’gre onscreen: ‘I’m heartbroken’

(From left) Kylie Padilla, Glaiza de Castro, Gabbi Garcia, and Sanya Lopez. Images: Screengrab from YouTube/GMA Integrated News, Instagram/@gabbi

Eight years after departing “Encantadia,” Kylie Padilla admitted that seeing her onscreen sisters, Gabbi Garcia, Sanya Lopez, and Glaiza de Castro, incomplete in the ongoing spinoff “Sang’gre,” is heartbreaking due to her untimely exit.

Padilla, who starred as Amihan in “Encantadia,” had an early departure from the fantasy drama in 2017, as she was pregnant with her first child with her estranged husband, Aljur Abrenica.

The actress opened up about her heartbreak in the June 19 episode of 24 Oras, saying she is aware of the gravity of her character in “Encantadia” and “Sang’gre’s” storyline.

“Bittersweet, because I knew about my role in the whole series. Amihan had such a beautiful storyline, especially when it comes to the birth of the new Sang’res,” she said. She said it made her sad that her character got killed off and became an “ivtre” (spirit or ghost).

“I just feel sad every time I watch it and see my ‘sisters’ without Amihan. I’m heartbroken every time I watch it,” she added.

The premiere episode of “Sang’gre” kicked off with a flashback into the sisterhood of Amihan (Padilla), Danaya (Lopez), Alena (Garcia), and Pirena (de Castro). Other future scenes hinted at Padilla making a brief appearance, but merely as a spirit, as seen in the drama’s trailers.

The Kapuso actress recalled how she worked hard on ensuring that her portrayal would make a mark on viewers, but her “unexpected” pregnancy threw a wrench in her plans.

“At the height [of it], I got pregnant. It was unexpected. And I didn’t know how else to handle it. The creatives and writers were also shocked and they had to adjust the storyline. I was feeling such a big regret,” she said, adding that she still wants to make up for the incident.

“I feel like I need to make up for it. It’s my dream to see us complete where Amihan is alive. It’s my way to make it up to them. It’s really painful to see them incomplete because of me,” she further said.

When asked if Padilla ever talked about her untimely departure with Garcia, de Castro, and Lopez, she admitted that they never had the chance to, aside from the usual congratulatory messages.

“Actually, we never talked about it. They congratulated me and said they were happy for me, but we never talked about my pregnancy and how they felt when I left. Of course, I had fears that there might be some disappointment,” she said.

This was not the first time that Padilla spoke about her regrets in leaving Encantadia, saying in an interview with her aunt BB Gandanghari last April that her career was almost at its peak when she got pregnant and was forced to marry Abrenica.

“I was scared because I was shooting a very beautiful show. That journey was difficult because when that show started, I was the most disliked among us. I used that as fuel and my career soared afterwards. I became one of the most favorites. And then I got pregnant. So I said, ‘Sayang naman ‘yung pinaghirapan ko.’ (What a waste of all my hard work). It is a frustration, I was on top of my career, and there were endorsements coming in,” she said.

“Sang’gre,” which premiered on June 17, is a continuation of “Encantadia’s” storyline, which shifts the spotlight to the new generation of Sang’gre’s, namely, Terra (Bianca Umali), Adamus (Kelvin Miranda), Flammara (Faith Da Silva), and Deia (Angel Guardian). /edv