BB Gandanghari admits she did not like Mariel for Robin before

BB Gandanghari and Mariel Padilla reveal they had a long-standing rift before.
BB Gandanghari admitted that he was not in favor of Mariel Padilla for his sister, Senator Robin Padilla.

On BB’s YouTube channel on March 6, 2025, he and Mariel looked back on their relationship as sisters-in-law.

BB said that Robin took Mariel to the house of the actor’s sister, Roda Padilla.

BB was there and talked about Robin’s girlfriend.

According to BB: “Because that was the first time we were all like, ‘Let’s introduce someone, okay!’ We’re like that, right?

“‘Oh, it seems serious, let’s introduce someone!'”

BB GANDANGHARI’S TRANSITION
At that time, BB — formerly known as Rustom Padilla — was starting her transition to becoming a trans woman.

BB said: “At that time, I must admit, I was really on my transition.

“There were a lot of hormonal imbalances. The result is too much insecurities. Then there are many issues in the family.”

She said her transition caused conflict in their family.

She said the inner struggles BB was going through didn’t help either.

Mariel said: “I felt like, as you struggled, they struggled too.

“Because, first, they didn’t know about transgender. It was like an alien word.

“And nobody understood what it was.”

BB directly asked Mariel what she thought about her transition.

Mariel replied: “I have very little, almost no memory of Rustom.

“The one that I got to really know was BB. I didn’t know Rustom.”

Mariel seemed to want to point out that unlike Robin’s family, Mariel didn’t have an issue with BB’s transition.BB’S RIFT WITH MARIEL
BB and Mariel also talked about their time together under the same roof.

After arriving from the U.S., BB lived at Robin and Mariel’s house.

BB and Mariel didn’t go into details, but it can be inferred that their relationship wasn’t good back then.

BB’s look back: “I thought that was an opportunity that I didn’t understand, because it could have been fun.

“Maybe emotionally, I wasn’t ready yet.”

Mariel agreed with BB, indicating that she understood what she was going through.

Once, they had an out-of-town shoot and Marel’s grandparents and other family members were there. Mariel’s family was a nuisance at the time.

BB shared that she felt ashamed of Mariel’s family.

“That’s when I apologized, saying, ‘Yes, if only I could go back to that time.’”

BB added, “I thought I was really unfair at that time. If only I could change it and it didn’t happen.”

BB didn’t elaborate, but it can be said that she regretted not making the effort to be close to Mariel when she stayed at Robin and Mariel’s house.

BURYING THE HATCHET
Once, BB was sick, and Mariel was one of the visitors.

This served as an icebreaker for the two to improve their relationship with each other.

BB also recalled when Mariel invited her to their house.

“I went to your house. You invited me,” BB said to Mariel.

“And then I apologized. Then you helped me with the concert.”

BB was referring to her anti-gravity yoga mini-concert.

Mariel said that was the beginning of their “acquaintance.”

BB then poked her: “But not totally. We had moments together, the two of us, that’s how it was.

“But I guess even, at that time, I don’t know how you perceived me at that time.

“But my mind was really confused. I couldn’t reach out emotionally.”

Fast-forward to the concert, BB reportedly saw Mariel being supportive of him.

Aside from watching BB’s concert, Mariel even brought along friends.

“When I first saw it, I was like, ‘Oh wow!’ I didn’t show it, I told you, I had no emotions at that time.

“But deep inside, I really felt like, ‘Oh wow, this is something else.’ I was touched very, very much.”

BB ADMITS SHE DOES NOT APPROVE OF MARIEL FOR ROBIN
At that point, BB admitted that she didn’t vote for Mariel when Robin married her.

BB’s story: “Here, I admit it.

“Of course when you and Robin got married and all, it was like, I said, ‘Are you sure Robin is there?’ It was like, you know…

“I’ll just say it now, I still have a feeling that I want [for] him [Robin] to be a model.”

She continued: “I don’t understand Robin.

“I said, ‘You got married, you don’t even know me. I want to take you out on dates with my female friends. You know what I mean? Like, be out in the world.’”

BB reportedly changed her mind about Mariel when she did the concert.

“At the concert, for the first time, I was like, ‘Okay, I think it’s a good choice,’” she said, referring to Robin’s choice of Mariel.

Mariel said that BB made her feel like he didn’t like her at first.

“You said it a little too much,” Mariel told BB.

Mariel said that BB told her, “But I’m really thinking, what do you have.”

Mariel added, “It’s like the way that you told me, that you couldn’t understand…”

In the YouTube interview, BB also said that Mariel is now his favorite sister-in-law, an indication that their relationship is going well.

BB said she appreciates Mariel’s thoughtfulness.

Mariel is often the one who initiates them going out and bonding.

She also told BB that Mariel even prepared a despidida before she left for the U.S.