Jake Zyrus, formerly known as Charice Pempengco, was once the pride of the Philippines when he reached the world with his powerful voice. But after publicly transitioning in 2017, Jake’s life in the US was not easy. He had to face countless challenges, from the rejection of some fans, financial difficulties, to painful internal battles.
Jake was once a global phenomenon, praised by Oprah Winfrey and Celine Dion. But after transitioning, his career took a completely different path. No longer on big stages, lavish performance invitations, Jake struggled to maintain his singing career in the US.
The change in voice due to the effects of hormones made the singer who was once famous around the world different. Many audiences, who loved Charice’s high-pitched voice, found it difficult to accept this change. Contracts gradually decreased, fame faded, and Jake fell into a career crisis.
After the spotlight, Jake Zyrus faced financial challenges. The days of performing on the big stage were now just a distant memory. Although he still tried to organize small shows and release new music, maintaining life in the US was not easy.
Jake once admitted in an interview that he went through extremely difficult financial times, even having to consider taking on many other jobs to make ends meet. From a shining star to an artist struggling to find his place, Jake’s path has never been smooth.
Not only did he lose the spotlight, Jake also had to face family rifts. His biological mother, Raquel Pempengco, publicly opposed her son’s decision to change gender. The family conflict deepened, causing Jake to fall into isolation and depression.
The lack of support from his family made his life in the US even more lonely. On social media, Jake often shares moments of self-motivation, but fans still see the emptiness and pain in his words.
Despite facing a series of difficulties, Jake Zyrus still did not give up his passion for singing. He continued to release music, perform at small events, and tried to maintain connections with fans. His performances at LGBTQ+ communities were still well-received by audiences, although they were no longer as grand as before.
On Instagram, Jake regularly updates his life, showing his resilience and desire to continue pursuing art. He also spends a lot of time raising awareness about the LGBTQ+ community and helping young people going through similar journeys.
Jake Zyrus’ life in the US was a thorny journey, where he faced loss, trauma, and harsh challenges. But no matter what, he still sticks to the path he has chosen, even though he knows it is not an easy path.
Fans still hope that one day, Jake Zyrus will find his rightful place in the music industry. But most importantly, he can live as his true self, despite all the difficulties.
Charice, said to be out of this world; Madir says, ‘Just pretending to be Jake Zyrus!’
Jake Zyrus’ mother Raquel Pempengco has slammed a netizen’s comment that Charice is “out of this world.”
Charice is known as an international singer and has been called the “most talented girl in the world” because when she sings, foreigners shower her with praise, applause, and even a standing ovation.
The aforementioned netizen reacted to Raquel’s Facebook post about SB19 lead vocalist Stell Ajero, after comparing her to Charice because of her performance of “All By Myself” at David Foster’s concert recently.
“ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ ɴᴀ ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ ᴀᴋᴏ ᴋᴄ ɴᴀᴘᴀᴅɪᴋɪᴛ ᴀɴɢ ᴘɪᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴋᴏ ᴋᴀʏ sᴛᴇʟʟ ᴀᴊᴇʀᴏ…ɪ’ᴍ ᴀɴ ᴀᴠɪᴏ sʙ19 sɪɴᴄᴇ ɴᴀʀᴇʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʏᴀɴ..ᴀᴛ ᴅɪ S ᴀᴋɪɴ ᴋᴀʏᴀ ᴋᴏ “I’m so sorry, I News regarding her reaction to Stell. One of the netizens’ comments was that Charice has been gone for a long time.
“CHARICE is gone. Why keep bringing back the person who is no longer in the world. #justsaying,” he said.
Mommy Raquel, however, objected, “it’s still there. You’re just Jake Zyrus incarnated.” Raquel also said that for her, there is no one to replace or follow in the footsteps left by Charice when it comes to the music industry.
