BINI leader Jhoanna is done staying quiet. In a tell-all chat with Ogie Diaz, the P-pop idol finally addressed the whirlwind of controversies that have haunted her girl group—from whispers of cosmetic surgeries to a supposed pregnancy scandal, and even that viral snack-tasting fiasco that nearly derailed their squeaky-clean image.
“Retoke” rumors? Jhoanna laughs it off
When asked about online speculation that some members had gone under the knife, Jhoanna couldn’t help but laugh.
“If we really had cosmetic work done, don’t you think we’d go all out and look drop-dead gorgeous by now?” she joked.
Instead, she credited their glow-up to dieting, makeup tricks, and hair experiments—emphasizing that no scalpels were involved. But she threw shade at bashers too: “We don’t see anything wrong if someone wants to enhance themselves.”
Pregnancy scandal explodes
Perhaps the juiciest rumor? That a BINI member was pregnant. Netizens pointed at “suspicious” signs like eating mangoes and wearing loose tops. Jhoanna rolled her eyes at the gossip.
“They’ll really say anything about us—even if it’s not true,” she fired back.
But while she shrugged it off personally, the rumor hit her where it hurt: her family. “That was the first time I cried. Because my family, the way they raised me, got dragged into it,” she revealed.
The infamous snack video
Remember when BINI’s YouTube collab with People vs Food blew up for all the wrong reasons? The girls were accused of being “maarte,” disrespecting Filipino street food, and speaking too much English.
Jhoanna spilled the tea: the 25-minute video was chopped down to just two minutes—highlighting only their “grossed out” reactions. “Of course people got mad. They didn’t see the full picture,” she sighed.
She admitted BINI can be “picky” sometimes, but insisted their reactions had more to do with how the food was prepared abroad than with Filipino culture itself. “We could’ve been more careful,” she confessed. “Being authentic is good, but maybe we should’ve controlled ourselves a little.”
Haters gonna hate
From rumors to edited clips, Jhoanna believes BINI has become the internet’s favorite punching bag. “Even if we explain our side, people won’t listen,” she said, throwing her hands up.
The star also took heat for her review of the film Sunshine. Netizens accused her of “missing the point,” but Jhoanna said it was just her personal take. “I could’ve worded it better. But at the end of the day, it was just my opinion.”
The price of fame
Despite the drama, Jhoanna admitted she signed up for this life—both the applause and the backlash. But fame has forced her to grow up fast.
“I realized my words carry weight. Anything I say will be interpreted,” she reflected.
And to her critics? She had one last message, “At the end of the day, we’re just normal people. There’s more to us than the scandals. Try knowing us beyond the issues.”