The Kapamilya actor has already issued a short statement.
On Thursday, May 15, actor Zaijian Jaranilla took to Instagram to upload a story in response to the backlash that he has been receiving on social media.
“Huy easy lang! Sorry na huwag na kayo magalit. At huwag niyo idamay yung mga kaibigan ko sa opinyon ko. Di ba pwede biruin idol niyo? Sorry na,” the 24-year-old star wrote.
He also added a line below, which he wrote as hashtag that read “Kung Si Lord Nagpapatawad, Kayo Pa?“
This stemmed from a recent live broadcast of former ‘Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab‘ housemate Ralph de Leon, where he was joined by Zaijian and other cast members of ‘High Street‘.
During which, Jaranilla made comments about current participant Dustin Uy, where he was heard speaking at the background, “‘wag niyo nang iboto si Dustin!“
This immediately caused stir among fans of the Kapuso personality, who had been controversial in recent weeks, especially during the time of the failed weekly challenge that led to a feud between him and task leader Klarisse de Guzman.
Meanwhile, to further clarify things, Gela Atayde, who was also with Ralph and Zaijian, along with Tommy Alejandrino, during the broadcast aired her separate statement.
“First, nobody saw the part where Ralph told us off-cam that he and Dustin are actually
good friends. He shared stories with us, and they were nothing but kind and respectful. That’s why Dustin was genuinely sad when Ralph (left), it wasn’t an act. Ralph never joined any hate train. On the contrary, he stood by Dustin as a friend,” Atayde shielded de Leon from hate comments that were also thrown at him.
She continued, “As for Zaijian, he expressed his own opinion based on what he saw on TV. That doesn’t make his reaction right, and he knows that. He has already apologized for it.”
Gela also appealed to not further drag Ralph into the matger any further, sharing that “he did his part as a true friend to Dustin.”
“About Vince, to clarify, Zaijian wasn’t referring to him at all. He was teasing Tommy in a private, joking context-not seriously calling anyone names. It was an inside joke among friends that was never meant to hurt or bully anyone,” the actress-dancer furthered.
To end, “We fully acknowledge that some actions came off wrong, and for that, we’re sorry. It won’t happen again. Moving forward, we ask for your continued support for Ralph. He’s one of the most genuine people we know, and he truly deserves kindness.“