BB Gandanghari talked about the controversial relationship of her former self, Rustom Padilla, with actress Carmina Villarroel in the 90s.
In her Youtube vlog, Gandanghari insisted that she loved Villarroel whom she first dated in 1992.
“Marami ang nagtatanong, minahal ko raw ba talaga si Carmina? Honestly and true, oo,” Gandanghari said.
According to her, she described Villarroelas as a ‘blessing’ who came to her life.
Padilla married Villarroel secretly in 1994 but separated in 1996. They were annulled in 2002.
In 2006, Padilla announced in national television that he was gay and three years after her revelation, she appeared again in public as a transgender and now using alias BB Gandanghari.
“It’s the fact na they thought they found the right love, para kay Rustom. Pero hindi na rin niya ipinaglaban kasi, at that time, binibigyan nila ng pagkakataon ang sarili nila na mag-isip. Napakabait ng Diyos, I hope si Carmina, ganito rin ang pakiramdam. I don’t wanna be selfish about it, pero itinuturing kong blessing si Carmina sa buhay ni Rustom. It could have been the worst of times. Yung panahon na unti-unting gumuguho ang pangarap ni Rustom before his eyes. Ano ba ang pangarap ni Rustom? Magkaroon ng pamilya, magkaroon ng mabuting asawa, magkaroon ng mga anak, maging mabuting asawa, maging mabuting provider. Yun ang pangarap ni Rustom,” she narrated.
“And Rustom thought na si Carmina din yung babae para sa kanya to fulfill that dream, pero sa paglipas ng panahon, nagkakaroon ng mga natutuklas mo kung ano ba yung katotohanan sa kaibuturan ng puso mo. So while the relationship was going on until they lived together as hindi sila nag-live together, nag-secret marriage…nagpakasal sila. Dun unti-unting nararamdaman ni Rustom yung mga bagay na feeling niya bakit parang kulang? Dun unti-unting lumalabas yung insecurities bilang lalake. Dahil siguro hindi na-resolve, itong yung sinasabi ko na this is the lesson learned here. Dahil sa in love and everything, akala ni Rustom, that will cover everything, pero hindi.” she added.
Gandanghari said that Padilla felt that Villarroel was not happy with him anymore.
“Rustom may be right, he may be happy with Carmina, but he wasn’t happy with himself. That’s the problem, doon nag-umpisa na bakit kasama na niya yung babaeng …kasi yung pagmamahal, walang question. Kung ako magiging lalake ulit, babalik, siya pa rin liligawan. Hindi ko naman naiisip noon na bilang Rustom, magpapatawag ako na BB after 21 years or 31 years? I really don’t know. Sabi ko nga, it may be the right love, but hindi lang wrong time, but wrong body,” she said.
She revealed that Villarroel separated with her without any problems as they understood each other.
Gandanghari also denied that she had a relationship with men during her relationship with Carmina.
Before revealing that she was ‘gay’ in 2006, BB Gandanghari said that she informed Villarroel first about it.
“Bakit ginawa ni Rustom iyon? Bilang respeto, gusto niyang iparating kay Carmina na hindi nagbabago yung pagmamahal na ibinigay sa kanya ni Rustom, kung naramdaman man niya iyon. Gusto rin niyang makita yung acceptance ni Carmina, siguro, at the back of his head. Alam mo kung ano ang sinabi ni Carmina sa kanya? Ang sabi ni Carmina sa kanya, ‘Huwag kang mag-alala. Puwede mong asahan ang suporta ko kasi noong panahon na ako naman ang lumapit sa iyo,’ dahil yun ang panahon na uuwi siya from [the U.S.], yung nanganak na siya ‘tapos uuwi siya dito sa Pilipinas,” Gandanghari said.
In an interview last year, Carmina said that she did not regret marrying Padilla.
“I cannot, I cannot delete those chapters in my life. And, kung ano ako ngayon and kung paano ako ngayon as a person, it’s because of my past. It’s because of my experiences before. So, wala, wala, it’s part of my life already. Mag-move on na lahat, wala na namang issue.” Carmina told the press.
“Kasi natuto na rin ako na wala namang mangyayari if i-regret mo ang isang bagay, e, di ba? Like I said, you just learn from your mistakes. You just learn from whatever is in your past and then huwag mo na lang gawin, ulitin. Marami naman akong natutunan from that experience.” she added.