Andrea Brillantes is one of the most popular young stars in the country, with millions of followers on social media and a successful career in showbiz. But behind the glitz and glamor, the 18-year-old actress also faces a lot of challenges and criticisms from online bashers and haters.
In an exclusive interview with Philstarlife.com, Andrea’s mom, Belle Brillantes, opened up about how she and her daughter cope with the negative comments and cyberbullying that they encounter online.
Belle said that she tries to shield Andrea from the harsh words of the netizens, but sometimes, she can’t help but read them and feel hurt. She said that she often cries and prays for her daughter’s protection and happiness.
“I always tell her to ignore them, but sometimes, I also read them and I get affected. I cry and I pray to God to give her strength and guidance. She’s still young and she has a lot of dreams. She doesn’t deserve all the hate,” Belle said.
Belle also shared that Andrea is a very sensitive and emotional person, who gets easily affected by what people say about her. She said that Andrea sometimes feels insecure and depressed because of the online hate.
“She’s very sensitive and she takes everything to heart. Sometimes, she would ask me why people hate her so much, what did she do wrong, why can’t they just be happy for her. She would cry and say that she’s not good enough, that she’s ugly, that she’s fat. It breaks my heart to see her like that,” Belle said.
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Belle said that she always reminds Andrea of her worth and her achievements, and that she should not let the haters bring her down. She said that she also encourages Andrea to focus on the positive things in her life, such as her family, friends, fans, and projects.
“I always tell her that she’s beautiful, talented, and blessed. She has a lot of supporters who love her and appreciate her. She has a lot of opportunities to showcase her skills and talents. She has a lot of things to be thankful for. I tell her to focus on those things and not on the negative ones,” Belle said.
Belle also appealed to the netizens to be more kind and respectful online, and to stop spreading hate and negativity. She said that cyberbullying is a serious issue that can affect the mental health and well-being of the victims.
“Please be more careful with what you say online. You don’t know how much it can hurt someone. You don’t know what they’re going through. You don’t know the impact of your words. Please be more compassionate and understanding. Please stop the hate and spread love instead,” Belle said.
