Singer-songwriter Jake Zyrus, formerly known as global singing sensation Charice Pempengco, is once again at the center of a social media storm after a topless poolside photo with his partner, Filipino-American singer Chees, made waves online — and reignited old grudges.
The photo, innocently posted by Chees on Instagram with nothing more than a heart emoji, seemed harmless at first. Jake even dropped three heart emojis in the comments. But the internet had other plans. Within hours, the post turned into a digital warzone — with fans cheering, bashers jeering, and long-buried family drama crawling back into the spotlight.
Supporters praised the couple’s openness and even begged for a new musical collaboration. But the bashers? They went for the jugular. Some mocked Jake’s appearance, comparing him to the late comedian Berting Labra. Others dismissed his gender identity altogether, insisting he would “never be a boy,” while a few took the low blow of claiming his career had ended the moment Charice “disappeared.”
One particularly cutting comment dragged in Jake’s estranged mother, Raquel Pempengco, reopening a feud that has haunted his career for years. Another lamented, “Sayang talaga… super blessed siya noon bilang Charice. Wala na. Buhay mo yan… enjoy.”
And then came the judgment day prophets — the kind who seem more concerned with someone else’s supposed afterlife than their own.
But Jake wasn’t without defenders. “Why the hate? Let them live how they want. Hindi kayo inaano,” one netizen fired back, slamming the moral police for their hypocrisy.
This isn’t Jake’s first time in the social media crosshairs. In 2022, he also went topless online after undergoing chest surgery, admitting he hesitated to post due to insecurity and fear of public reaction. That post became a defiant declaration of self-acceptance:
“I’m happy with who I am now. You can laugh, judge, or ignore it, but you don’t know the pain I went through to get here… This is me. Comfortable at last. Proud at last. I’m not asking for your opinion.”
Still, the latest backlash shows one thing — in the court of public opinion, Jake Zyrus will always be on trial. And every topless photo, every post, every public move will be another round in a battle between his freedom and the internet’s endless appetite for controversy.