Celebrity couple Vice Ganda and Ion Perez looked back on the toughest challenge they faced in their relationship as they celebrated their seventh anniversary.
In Vice Ganda’s latest YouTube vlog, the couple recalled the viral 2023 ‘icing’ scandal that put them under public scrutiny.
According to Perez, the controversy deeply affected him and triggered his depression that made him want to leave the noontime show.
‘May time nga sabi ko sa kanya ayoko na, eh. Gusto ko na sanang magpaalam sana no’n, ayoko na, kasi wala naman talaga kaming ginawa, ‘di ba? Pero kung mapanghusgahan ka ng tao,’ he said.
(There was a time I told him I wanted to quit. I wanted to say goodbye because we really didn’t do anything wrong. But the way people judge you.)
Vice Ganda added that the incident was a challenge for both of them to show how important they are to each other.
‘Sobrang bigat nu’ng challenge na ‘yun. ‘Yun ‘yung time na kailangan namin iparamdam sa isa’t isa na ‘magkakampi tayo. Hindi pwedeng hindi sabay maka-recover. Kailangan sabay tayong maka-recover. Kasi sabay kaming nasaktan, sinaktan, hinusgahan. Kaya kailangan magsuportahan kaming dalawa,’ he explained.
(That challenge was really heavy. That was the time when we needed to remind each other that we’re on the same team. We had to recover together. We were both hurt, judged, and criticized. So, we had to support each other.)
Perez admitted he lost interest in the things he used to love during that period, with Vice Ganda adding that they both struggled emotionally, which made them decide to undergo couples therapy.
”Di ba nga sabi nila parang kailangan daw magkasama kayo para kung mahina ang isa, ikaw ang magiging lakas niya. Hindi ‘yun ang nangyari noong panahon na ‘yun kasi walang malakas sa amin at that moment. So, we chose to stay weak together,’ expressed Vice Ganda.
(They say that when one is weak, the other should be strong. But that wasn’t the case for us then-neither of us was strong. So, we chose to be weak together.)
The comedian noted that after several therapy sessions, their relationship became stronger and more genuine.
It can be recalled that in 2023, Vice Ganda and Perez became controversial after they had a sweet and playful encounter on ‘It’s Showtime’ that resulted in the temporary suspension of the show by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
The viral moment showed Perez holding a cake and using his fingers to taste the icing. He then approached Vice Ganda, who took some of the icing from Perez’s fingers with his own before tasting it.
At the time, the MTRCB asserted that the scene was a violation of Section 3c of Presidential Decree No. 1986, which states their power over portions that are deemed ‘immoral, indecent, contrary to law and/or good customs, injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines or its people.’
Vice Ganda and Perez began their relationship in 2018. They publicly confirmed their relationship the following year. In October 2021, the couple celebrated their third anniversary with a commitment or wedding ceremony in Las Vegas.