'You're my hero': Sarah Geronimo gives shoutout to Mommy Divine at Billboard event

Sarah Geronimo took the time to give a special mention to her mom Divine at the Billboard Women in Music event on Thursday, March 7 (Philippine time).

The "popstar royalty" is in Los Angeles, California for the 2024 edition of the women-focused music event, where she was given the Global Force Award alongside Brazilian singer-songwriter Luísa Sonza and Italian artist Annalisa.

In her Billboard interview with red carpet hosts Rania Aniftos and Lilly Singh, the singer first talked about being a "Global Force" recipient and what the award means to her.

"It's very unexpected to be considered a global force," she said, referring to her feat as "having that power to influence people."

"It also comes with a big responsibility, right? You have to be mindful about the materials that you put out there. You have to create change and positivity towards other people," she explained.

Sarah gave a shoutout to her mother when she was asked how it feels to be at an event that celebrates women in particular.

"Women are beautiful, women are strong. Now that I am married, I understand how marriage can be difficult sometimes. Men are beautiful as well, I mean the way they manage, they cope with everything that goes on with our minds as women. I also would like to salute men on how they take care of us women," she said.

"But women, especially mothers out there—shoutout to my mother, Mommy Divine Geronimo, you are the best, you are my hero, I love you very much—I mean I cannot imagine myself being a mother, all the sacrifices that a mother has to do for their child, it's mind-blowing," she continued.

Sarah's relationship with her parents is known to have been strained when she and Matteo Guidicelli tied the knot in a secret wedding in February 2020 without their family's knowledge. According to reports, it caused a rift between her and her parents, who have since been conspicuously absent in her concerts. In October 2022, she penned an apology letter to them for supposedly causing them pain in an Instagram post, which she later deleted.