Liza Soberano explains why she opened up about her difficult childhood

Posted by ReyFort Media

Following her appearance on the podcast-cinema-documentary Can I Come In?, Liza Soberano took to social media to explain why she decided to open up about her painful past.

In her Instagram post, the actress said: “As an actress my job is to entertain. But as a public figure, my responsibility is to speak up on the things that matter, from a place that matters. All of me dreads sharing the most intimate parts of my soul, just for people to judge and diminish my experiences.”

Liza expressed that she feels honored to inspire young girls to also be vocal about their own experiences.

“But if I don’t speak up out of discomfort or fear, what chance does all the scared and voiceless women and children that are still in dangerous situations have? So it is a privilege and honor to be able to share my experiences so that even just one little girl out there can feel encouraged to speak up,” she stated.

She also shared a reminder for those who feel silenced: “So for anyone who needs to hear this, people may try to guilt you or shame you for speaking up. Don’t let them, only those with hardness in their hearts would discourage your voice. Cruel people will try to discredit your story, they’ll say you are exaggerating or being self serving, don’t mind them. Only weak people would respond to stories of pain with doubt and interrogation.”

She went on: “Worst of all, some will even try to exploit your story for their personal gain, responding to your pain with gossip and attention-seeking, making it a source of entertainment. They will hijack your hardships to seek attention and self-importance. Pay them no mind. Only those with no light of their own need to use the sadness of others as fuel for their egos. You will shine and they will fade away.”

Liza also expressed gratitude to those who sent her messages of support following the podcast episode. “To everyone who has commented or messaged privately, thank you so much for the kind words and the thoughtful empathy that you have conveyed to me. The world is a better place because of people like you.”

In Can I Come In?, Liza opened up about her turbulent childhood in the US, including being physically assaulted by her mother’s then-boyfriend and the abuse she experienced while living in a foster home. (ToffC. /Push team abs-cbn)