New Revelations From BB Gandanghari Now That He Works With Brothers Robin And Rommel Padilla In '2 & 1/2 Half Dads'

IT’S BEEN ten years since Rustom Padilla came out of the closet and admitted his sexual preference in public in “Pinoy Big Brother” celebrity edition in February 2005 to become BB Gandanghari. At the presscon of his new TV sitcom with his brothers Robin and Rommel Padilla, we finally go to ask BB if it’s true PBB got him on condition that he will out himself in the course of the show.

“No, wala silang alam,” she says. “Up to that time I was in front of Keanna Reeves, hindi ko alam kung maga-out nga ba ako, until I saw that mariposa flying around us. E, sa family namin, may significance talaga yung paglabas ng mariposa so I took it as a sign to go on and out myself. Before that, in 1994, nag-out na ko sa L.A. but I can’t decide kung maga-out ako rito. I just kept on running and running hanggang sa pumayat ako and people thought I was on drugs dahil sa pinagdaraanan ko. But the truth is before I came out, si Carmina (Villaroel, his ex-wife) and una kong kinausap, para fair at magkaroon kami ng formal closure. She was very understanding.”

Is it deliberate that when he started cross dressing, she made herself resemble Carmina? “No, not at all. Wala akong sinumang peg. Pero noon pa naman, sinasabi ng magkamukha kami, e. In ‘2&1/2 Dads’, there’s a scene where our mom, Celia Rodriguez, says when she sees me, ‘Kamukha mo ang favorite actress kong si Carmina Villaroel’. Binabasa ko pa lang ang script noon, tawa na ako nang tawa.”

How is it working now with brothers Robin and Rommel? “I can now express myself as the real me in front of them. Wala nang inhibitions. I can wear pekpek shorts at wala na kong pakialam. Makikita nyo sa show ang magandang rapport namin with each other.”

We ask her brothers how is to work with her? “Malaking tulong ang show for us to fully accept BB and be closer to each other,” says Robin. “Nawala na yung barriers. Mas tanggap na namin siya. Kaya lang, sa taping, ang tagal magbihis. It’s our director, Monti Parungao, who tells us, hintayin nyo na lang, babae yung kapatid nyo kaya mas matagal mag-make up at magbihis.”

“First time ko to work with BB at na-realize ko, napakagaling pala niyang aktres,” says Rommel. “Ako, masaya na talaga para sa kanya dahil natagpuan na niya ang sarili niya. Makakatulong ang show namin para sa ibang families na nakakaranas din ng ganitong sitwasyon sa pamilya nila.”

Behind the scene footage and outtakes were shown to the press and it’s obvious, they all had fun doing the show. In one scene, Robin and Rommel were whispering to each other and wondering where BB is hiding her family jewels. BB suddenly confronts them and blurts out: “Excuse me, wala akong betlog!”

We ask BB if this were true. “Secret. I had estrogen therapy for four years. Ini-injection sa’kin ang female hormones. Kaso, ang side effect sa’kin, nagkaroon ako ng bad mood swings so my doctor stopped it. I’m now taking it very slowly. Abangan nyo, baka in the course of our show, ipakita ang final transformation ko. Kundi sa first season, sa second season.”