Liza Soberano Opens Up About Childhood Trauma and Family Struggles

Former Kapamilya actress Liza Soberano has shared a deeply personal story of her childhood, revealing years of instability, abuse, and growing up in a fractured family.

In a recent episode of the podcast-cinema-documentary YouTube channel Can I Come In?, Liza recounted her life with young parents who struggled to survive while juggling multiple jobs and personal challenges.

She described her parents as “misguided,” saying that when she was born, her mother Jacqueline and father John were essentially two children themselves trying to navigate adulthood under immense pressure.

Her mother battled a crystal meth addiction, while her father faced legal troubles including drug-related charges and a restraining order violation, which ultimately led to his deportation back to the Philippines.

Liza and her younger brother were left in the United States with their mother, enduring a turbulent and often dangerous upbringing that left lasting emotional scars.

One of her earliest memories at just two years old involved her mother’s then-boyfriend, Michael, who allegedly stole a van and forced Liza and her family to live in it for days, prompting relatives to report them missing.

She recalled attempts to escape Michael’s control, only to be caught, physically assaulted, and ordered to harm her younger brother during moments when her mother was absent.

Police intervention eventually led to Michael’s arrest, but her mother was also taken into custody, leaving Liza and her brother in foster care, where they moved between several homes before staying eight months with her mother’s former friend Melissa.

What began as a safe placement quickly turned abusive, with Liza alleging confinement, humiliation, and being treated like a family pet, including sitting in a cardboard box during movie nights and performing degrading tasks.

She described forced acts that caused choking, humiliation, and even being locked overnight in a cold garage, saying these experiences left her with phobias and long-lasting trauma.

Despite the abuse, Liza admitted to lying to social workers about her well-being, believing her foster guardian cared for her during regular visits, until an unannounced visit revealed her true condition.

Afterward, she and her brother were sent to the Philippines to live with their estranged father at age 10, which added layers of cultural shock, fear, and discomfort as they navigated an unfamiliar family dynamic.

She recalled feeling pressured by her father’s expectations and experiencing emotional unease in their interactions, describing moments that left her feeling disgusted and disconnected from someone she barely knew.

This marks the first time Liza has publicly spoken about her childhood trauma, and she also confirmed her breakup with longtime onscreen and real-life partner Enrique Gil while reflecting on her career journey.

By the end of her interview, Liza said sharing her story brought a sense of liberation, symbolically serving cake to every person who hurt her and to herself as a gesture of release and healing.

“Hope,” she told herself, “I promise you I won’t ever let anyone make you feel inferior. Ever.”

She encouraged others to prioritize self-love and not tolerate mistreatment, emphasizing that life becomes better when people stand up for themselves and refuse to stay in harmful situations.