Zara Lopez shares her message for Viva Hot Babes: ‘I don’t want revenge, I want my peace back’
After being noticeably absent from the recent Viva Hot Babes concert titled Bulaklak Reunion Show, Zara Lopez is now speaking up about her status with the group, which she joined in 2007 and became part of its third batch. The group was first formed in 2003 when producer Vic Del Rosario handpicked the original members led by actresses Maui Taylor, Katya Santos and Andrea del Rosario. Since its inception, the group has had a total of 36 members.
In her Facebook past last October 29, Zara released her official statement regarding her status with the group.
“I AM NO LONGER A VIVA HOT BABE. AND I’M NEVER COMING BACK. Ako na mismo ang kusang aalis. And this time, it’s PERMANENT. After more than 20 years, I am officially closing my chapter with Viva Hot Babes. Yes, I wasn’t part of the original batch. I never claimed to be. But I proudly represented and supported the group for many years, including through my social media presence. But here’s the truth: I no longer want to be associated with the Viva Hot Babes name,” she said.
The announcement was not a big suprise to Zara’s 6.3M followers on social media. Zara had made back-to-back posts regarding the supposed online bullying she has been on the receiving end of from Katya Santos’s partner Paolo Pilar. In another post, Zara revealed how disappointed she is by the personal attacks on her character online.
In another October 29 post, she wrote, “This is my last statement.
“‘Loser si Zara.’ ‘Low life.’ ‘Kung alam mo lang tunay na ugali niyan…’
“Yan ang mga sinabi sakin ni Paolo Pilar
“Pinaka close ko pa si Katya sa lahat pero ganyan lang maririnig mo sa partner niya na hinayaan niya lang.
“Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ko pa kayang dalhin ang sakit na nararamdaman ko.
“For months, I’ve been trying to smile in front of the camera, laugh with my family, and pretend that everything is okay.But the truth is, I’m not okay. And I haven’t been okay for a long time.
“There are nights when I cannot sleep because I keep remembering the things people have said about me. There are moments when I cry quietly because I don’t want my children to see their mother hurting. Simon even cried with me for nights when I was at my lowest and he tried to just listen to me and comfort me..
“Sometimes I ask myself, ‘Ganito ba talaga ang kapalit ng lahat ng pagmamahal at pakikisama ko sa loob ng mahigit 20 years?’
“Before I became a vlogger, I was just a struggling single mother raising my daughter Reece. I was the breadwinner of my family. I knew what it felt like to worry about money, work endlessly, and sacrifice my own happiness just to provide for my child.
“And during those years, I considered my Viva Hot Babes friends my sisters.
“Hindi lang sila basta kaibigan para sa akin. Pamilya ang turing ko sa kanila.
“I loved them wholeheartedly. I celebrated their happiness, supported their dreams, and when I learned how to earn through vlogging, I even encouraged and helped my friends to create content too. Yes, mas sikat sila sa’kin kasi sila ang batch 1 na Viva hot babes and ako batch 3 lang. I always looked up to them and supported them for more than 20 years kasi sila ang mahal ng Tao. Ako supporting lang. I prayed na one day Lord my time will come na makikilala din ako and I will still support those people who supported me.
“Because I believed that when God blesses you, you should share those blessings with others.
“But somewhere along the way, things changed.
“Being left out of the Viva Hot Babes reunion concert hurt me more than I could explain. Imagine watching people you’ve known and loved for more than 20 years celebrating together while you’re left wondering why you no longer seem to belong.
“Ang sakit pala kapag buhay pa ang mga taong mahal mo, pero pakiramdam mo, nawalan ka na ng pamilya.”
“And then came the comments.
“People calling me fake, arrogant, selfish, saying I have a bad attitude, that I don’t deserve to be called a Viva Hot Babe.
“And seeing Paolo Pilar publicly call me a ‘loser’ and ‘low life’ made the pain even harder to carry.
“Paolo, hindi mo siguro alam kung gaano kasakit basahin ang mga salitang iyon kapag ang taong tinutukoy mo ay matagal nang lumalaban sa sarili niyang kalungkutan.
“You may have typed those words in seconds, but I have spent so many nights trying not to let them define who I am.
“I am 42 years old. I am a mother. I am a wife. I am someone who has worked hard her entire life.
“Pero kahit gaano ka na katanda, kahit gaano ka na katatag, nasasaktan ka pa rin. Napapagod ka pa rin. Umiiyak ka pa rin.
“What hurts most is that I never wanted to compete with anyone.
“I never wanted to be better than my friends.
“I just wanted to succeed, provide for my family, and bring the people I loved along with me.
“Kailangan ko bang manatiling mahirap para mahalin ninyo ako tulad ng dati? Kailangan ko bang walang followers para hindi ninyo isipin na nagbago na ako?
“I’m still Zara.
“The same Zara who struggled as a single mother. The same Zara who loved her friends even when she had very little. The same Zara who wanted everyone around her to succeed.
“I know I’m not perfect. If I’ve ever hurt anyone, I am willing to listen, apologize, and make things right.
“But please, don’t turn me into a villain without even listening to my story.
“And I want to be honest about something I’ve been afraid to share.
“My mental health has been suffering.
“The sadness, anxiety, crying, and sleepless nights have become difficult to manage. There are days when even simple things feel emotionally exhausting.
“I am seriously considering seeking professional therapy because I don’t want to keep living with this heaviness in my heart.
“Ayokong dumating sa puntong makalimutan ko na kung paano maging masaya dahil sa mga salitang ibinabato sa akin.”
Before ending her lengthy post, Zara wrote about not wanting her fans to take pity on her or take a side in this matter and is praying that she can find peace again in herself. Zara has always been vocal about her family being her greatest blessing.
“I want to heal.
I want to sleep peacefully again.
I want to wake up without immediately remembering the hurtful things people said about me.
I want my children to see their mother genuinely happy, not someone who is only pretending to be strong.
And I want to be able to look at my old friends’ pictures someday without crying over the friendship I thought would last forever.
Hindi ako humihingi ng awa. Hindi rin ako humihingi na kampihan ninyo ako.
I’m simply asking people to remember that words can hurt more deeply than we realize.
To my former friends, I still remember the good times. The laughter, the struggles, the memories, and the years we spent together.
Despite everything, a part of me will always be grateful for those moments.
Sana balang araw, kapag naalala ninyo ako, hindi lang ang mga pagkakamali ko ang makita ninyo, kundi pati ang pagmamahal at kabutihang sinubukan kong ibigay sa inyo.
To everyone who has supported me, especially those who are also struggling financially, please never be ashamed of your situation. I have been there. I know how difficult life can be.
And to my partner Simon and our children, thank you for loving me even on the days when I struggle to love myself.
As a Christian, I believe in forgiveness. But I am learning that forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending I wasn’t hurt.
Even Jesus wept. And I believe God understands every tear I cannot explain to anyone else.
*“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
Tonight, my prayer is simple.
Lord, please heal the parts of my heart that nobody can see. Help me forgive the people who hurt me, and help me find peace even if I never receive an apology.
I don’t want anyone attacked because of this post. I just want to be heard.
I don’t want revenge. I want my peace back.
I miss the happy Zara.
I miss the Zara who could laugh without worrying about what people were saying behind her back.
And I’m praying that, with God’s help and the right professional support, I will find her again.
Because behind the woman you call a “loser” is a mother who is trying her best not to lose herself.”