Carla Abellana addresses ‘nepo baby ka rin’ comments: ‘Whatever I have now, pinaghirapan ko’

Carla Abellana addressed one of the negative comments she received after speaking out against “nepo babies,” as some critics quickly turned the label back onto her.

On Thursday’s “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” the King of Talk recalled, “When you called out nepo babies, isa sa mga reaction: Nepo baby ka rin.”

“‘Yung mga ganun naman, Tito Boy, tinatawanan ko na lang po ‘yun because we all know for a fact that, yes, technically speaking, parang nepo baby because I come from a family from the same industry, show business,” Carla started.

The Kapuso actress then distinguished her circumstances from the current, prevalent application of the term.

“‘Yung nepo baby naman po na napapanahon ngayon, ‘yung pinag-uusapan po natin, ibang nepo baby naman po ‘yan. Siyempre, ito is involving politics and corruption,” she said.

To further clarify the term, Tito Boy provided definitions, explaining that in contexts like Hollywood, nepo babies are the children of celebrities or superstars “who are perceived to have it easy because deeply entrenched ang kanilang mga parents, ang kanilang mga relatives in the business.”

But Tito Boy stressed that in the context of corruption in the country, the term is now being applied to individuals with lavish lifestyles using people’s taxes.

“Ibang politically speaking na po ‘yung paggamit ng nepo babies these days. Ako, my goodness, nepo baby man po ako, whatever I have now, pinaghirapan ko po ‘yun. Wala pong inabot sa 'kin, binigay, wala pong akong minanang—everything I worked hard for,” Carla said.

Carla is the daughter of actor PJ Abellana and the granddaughter of the late Delia Razon.

Carla currently stars in the movie “Selda Tres” with JM De Guzman, Cesar Montano, and more.

She also previously starred in “Widows’ War,” which aired its finale in January.

In July, she launched her own handmade goods brand, Artisana.

—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News