Max Eigenmann on her tita Cherie Gil: ‘It doesn't feel right when I refer to her in the past’

For Max Eigenmann, Cherie Gil was more than her aunt. She was her best friend.

In an episode of GMA News and Public Affairs’ showbiz podcast “Updated with Nelson Canlas,” the Cinemalaya 2022 Best Actress opened up about her close relationship with her Tita Cherie.

Max describes her late aunt as someone who is “really, really sweet as in. Super duper loving, super kind. Very super sassy.”

“You know, Tita Cherie and I were really close. I don't like—parang it doesn't feel right when I refer to her in the past,” Max said.

The two were so dear to each other that Max even dedicated her best actress win to Cherie.

The actress added that their relationship as being “super best friends.”

“We've always been close ever since I was a kid, but I think our relationship parang became more than tita and niece after my dad passed away, like really became barkada talaga,” she added. 

“We were together almost everyday after he passed away. I would be at her condo all the time with my stepmom and my sisters."

Max added that it’s already so rare to be able to find a best friend, let alone find one in a family member.

“I super miss her.”

Since Cherie was also very close to her brother and Max’s late dad and actor Mark Gil, it was one of the foundations of their strong relationship.

“Close din kasi siya sa dad ko eh, so yun din siguro ang naging reason kung bakit naging sobrang close ako kay Tita Cherie.

“Kasi I was very, very close to my dad, he was so close to Tita Cherie. So I think [a lot of it] had something to do [with that], ‘cause she reminded me so much of my dad.”

Cherie Gil passed away on August 5 due to a rare form of endometrial cancer. It came as a huge shock with numerous tributes pouring in from family, friends, and colleagues including Sharon Cuneta, and Cherie's son Raphael.

Listen to Max Eigenmann’s full guesting on “Updated with Nelson Canlas” on Spotify. — LA, GMA News