Star Magic warns of legal action amid online harassment of Patrick Garcia's daughter
Star Magic warned that legal action could be taken against those who continue to harass and make malicious comments about Patrick Garcia's daughter, Michelle.
The 13-year-old has become the target of online criticism after Garcia revealed his side of the story on his past relationship with actress Jennylyn Mercado.
"Star Magic is deeply concerned about the hurtful comments directed at our artist Michelle Garcia, who is only 13 years old. We ask the public to refrain from involving Michelle in matters concerning adults, that happened before she was born," they said.
"We are prepared to take appropriate action against those who continue to harass Michelle, in accordance with laws protecting children from abuse and libel. We continue to support Michelle and look after her well-being," they added.
The online harassment started when Garcia had an interview with Ogie Diaz on his YouTube vlog where he clarified details about the controversy that hounded him and Mercado almost two decades ago, when they announced the latter's pregnancy.
According to him, they intended to get married, even appearing before a judge at the Makati Regional Trial Court. However, they could not push through on their planned date as Garcia's sister, Cheska, was already getting married in the same year. He said they didn't want to tempt the Filipino superstition "sukob," or the belief that bad luck would come for siblings who marry in the same year.
Garcia addressed claims that he abandoned Mercado during her pregnancy, saying that there were circumstances surrounding their relationship that had not been made public at the time. "I was never there for Jen during her pregnancy, not because I didn't want to be there, but because she didn't want me to be there. So ayun ang totoo. That's my story. This is the story I've been holding for 18 years na hindi ko sinasabi kasi, you know, baka makalimutan na lang. Baka, you know, move on na," he said.
He explained that he decided to speak up after all this time as Michelle began receiving negative comments online after joining SM Entertainment’s training program in Singapore.
While he warned his daughter that revealing his side could make the situation worse, Michelle said that it was okay "as long as they know the truth."
Mercado's camp has since spoken up on the matter and asked the public to stop bashing Garcia's family, especially Michelle.
"Everyone is entitled to share their story on whatever platform they choose. In this case, Jennylyn would rather not share her side of the story out of respect for the privacy and peace of mind of both her family and Garcia's," her agency Aguila Entertainment said.
"Jennylyn asks the public to stop the hate and refrain from bashing Patrick's family, especially his daughter, Michelle. Rest assured that Jennylyn and her son, Jazz, are living a good and happy life with her husband, Dennis, daughter Dylan, and stepson Calix," they added.
Garcia and Mercado went public with their relationship around early 2007. In January 2008, they announced they were expecting their first child. Just a month after the announcement, they broke up. Their son, Alex Jazz, was born in August 2008.
Mercado has been married to Dennis Trillo since Nov. 15, 2021. Aside from Alex Jazz, they share Calix, Trillo's son with Carlene Aguilar, and their daughter, Dylan.
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