Think before you post: A look back at 2023's viral deleted celebrity posts
The internet can be a messy place to be—once you publish the wrong post at the wrong time, you'll be facing a digital wildfire.
Celebrities, who have thousands of fans and bashers keeping an eye on what they post, often fall victim to this—sometimes even unleashing a torrent of hate from the public.
As we usher in another year, let us reflect on the importance of thinking before speaking (or posting). It’s hard to take back what you've said in the online sphere, especially since everything can be captured in just one screenshot.
Let's learn from these infamous posts by celebrities who, in a moment of haste or poor judgment, have sparked controversy online.
Kris Aquino urging ex-boyfriend not to mention kids
Kris Aquino has her fair share of statements that she has since deleted after gaining attention online, but her most recent one involves her ex-boyfriend Mark Leviste regarding a post that didn’t seem to sit well with her.
In a now-deleted comment on his post, Kris called out Leviste for mentioning the names of her children, Joshua and Bimby, reasoning that it may mislead people into thinking that they're still a couple.
In the post, Mark had penned a congratulatory message to Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas as well as his eldest son, Ronin, for an achievement. Near the end of the post, Mark mentioned Kris’ children as he shared that he is in the US to celebrate Thanksgiving with them.
“I'm sorry, I know this isn’t my feed, but you are misleading people. Our children shouldn't be collateral damage because I chose to end our relationship,” Kris wrote. “Marc, we shared beautiful memories and if only for that and my decision to stay private because what’s done is done.”
She further revealed that the two of them had an altercation before his post, but said that she won't be publishing any screenshots of the conversation.
Kris and Mark had an on-and-off relationship that started in January this year until the actress ultimately ended it due to the challenges posed by her various autoimmune diseases.
Alora Sasam’s KathNiel breakup meme
There’s no denying that the breakup of reel to real couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla was like a punch to the gut for many Filipinos. They were, after all, one of the most popular love teams in the country who have long made their fans squeal with their kilig-inducing projects. So when Kathryn’s friend Alora Sasam posted a meme about their breakup, the internet wasn’t so pleased about it.
In the now-deleted post, Alora shared an edited picture of herself with Kathryn behind her back whispering something in her ear. The actress’ text bubble read, “Shot puno mamaya. Bawal tumakas,” while Alora’s read, “Pwede iwan ko nalang atay ko? Balikan ko bukas.”
The post’s caption meanwhile read, “December 1: Philippine National Shot Puno Day.”
Many KathNiel fans expressed their anger at Alora and called her out for being “insensitive.”
“Alora posting a meme a day after KathNiel confirmed their breakup while everyone is saddened shows how insensitive she is. Okay lang sana if hindi naman siya kilala, but she's literally one of Kath's friends. Feels like she's celebrating the breakup or something,” one user wrote.
Another one posted, “Even Kath's real best friends mourn for their relationship, kasi saksi naman sila at some point na talagang sobrang nagmahalan yung dalawa. Kaya hindi ko gets, Alora, ikaw na kasama ni Kath during breakup phase niya, paanong nagawang meme-worth yung break up nila? Masaya ka?”
Neri Miranda’s P1,000 weekly meal plan
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Who would’ve thought that a simple and well-intentioned meal plan would cause so much noise on social media?
Actress and entrepreneur Neri Miranda caused quite a stir online after she shared a weekly meal plan containing a list of ingredients and the dishes you can make out of them per day, with leftovers allotted for dinners. It is touted to only cost a person P1,000 per week.
The plan quickly went viral, with most comments pointing out how the plan was "unrealistic" and "out of touch" with the economic situation in the Philippines.
After receiving backlash, Neri defended herself in the comments section of her now-deleted post, reasoning that her “edible garden” back at home already provided her with some ingredients. She further encouraged others to create their own, noting that “maraming paraan sa taong madiskarte.”
Singer-songwriter Chito Miranda also stood by his wife, explaining that the P1,000 meal plan was “intended for those who already knew what she was doing.”
“Naisip lang naman ng asawa ko na baka sakaling makatulong ‘yung meal plan niya sa mga tao that might find it useful, na-bash pa siya ng mga taong hindi naman nakasubaybay kung bakit ginagawa niya yung meal plan. What a cruel, cruel world,” he wrote in a post.
Alex Gonzaga smearing cake's icing
Gaganti ako kung ako kung ako yung pinahiran. pic.twitter.com/wsXwTId0Yz
— @pauloinmanila and 99 others (@pauloMDtweets) January 16, 2023
Alex Gonzaga’s 2023 got off to a rough start when she was caught on video smearing a server’s forehead with icing from the chocolate cake he was holding for her during her birthday celebration in January.
The video was originally posted on Instagram Story by Alex’s guest, fellow content creator Dani Barretto. Though she already deleted it, the video spread like wildfire online and caused the actress to be the target of the public’s wrath, with their criticisms mostly revolving around her “prank” lacking respect.
It even reached a point where veteran actress Dina Bonnevie seemed to take a swipe at the incident during her respective birthday celebration.
Alex has since apologized to the server, as the latter revealed himself in a signed statement shared with ABS-CBN News: “Last January 17, 2023 around 6:30 p.m. nasa work po 'ko. Pumunta po si Ma'am Alex kung saan po 'ko nagwowork then nag-apologize and nag-sorry siya sa’kin. Tapos konting kwentuhan at sinabi ko po sa kanya na okay na po ‘yung nangyari. Okay na po kami.”
MJ Lastimosa’s dislike for the Barbie movie
opinion and it has nothing to do about the movie being feminist, which is the only part that I liked, specially the speech of America Ferre, parang dapat nga wala na si Will Ferrell dun. But it’s just me, you’re entitled to like and dislike a movie. It’s not that deep mare.
— MJ Lastimosa (@MJ_Lastimosa) July 25, 2023
The fantasy comedy film Barbie which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling ended up as the highest-grossing film of 2023 and earned much praise from audience members and critics alike, except for beauty queen MJ Lastimosa.
She made sure to express her dislike for the film in a since-deleted post on X, writing, “Sobrang waley ng Barbie movie, sayang P600 ko haha! Okay naman some parts, but in general, mehhh, parang school project film."
Based on the iconic fashion dolls by Mattel, the movie's premise centers on the titular character as she experiences an existential crisis while living in Barbie Land. Social media users who liked the film blasted her for her comment, saying that she could have worded her criticism more constructively.
After removing her post, MJ later defended herself and described the negative comments about her as a form of "online bullying."
“Nakakatakot naman magka-opinion dito, minumura na ako ng iba sa ibang socmed ko only because I did not like a film?” she wrote in a thread.
“Wala akong inapakang tao. Natatakot din akong i-tweet ito kasi magagalit nanaman kayo kasi dapat in unison ang opinion natin dito or else bobo na agad kami? Sorry na agad mga mare kalma na masyado na kayong galit,” she wrapped up her statement.