Kuh Ledesma bats for Part 2 of My Husband's Lover

 

After three years, My Husband's Lover will return to the small screen as cable channel Fox Filipino features the groundbreaking drama series tackling homosexuality.

The teleserye, topbilled by Tom Rodriguez, Carla Abellana, and Dennis Trillo, has been airing weeknights on Fox Filipino starting June 20.

Kuh Ledesma, who was cast as the mother of Tom's mother in the series, has been vocal in saying that she is advocating for a sequel of My Husband's Lover.

In fact, when she met with GMA-7 executives, Kuh suggested that the Kapuso Network come up with Part 2 of the gay-themed teleserye.

PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) had the chance to interview Kuh during the media launch of Fox Filipino held at the Le Jardin Manila in Bonifacio Global City.

Kuh told PEP, “I’ve been suggesting that they do a Part 2. There are so many twists and I believe that people will watch again because they want to know what’s going to happen and it can become number one again, di ba, but 'di ko alam if si Dennis and si Tom would be willing to do it...'

Kuh pointed out that Carla and Tom's characters on the show have children and in real life, there are cases when the father actually comes out of the closet.

'What is the future of children whose father turns gay dapat may study 'yan. There is a study, it was Father’s Day [last June 19], so we listened to the study of sons and children who leave home, fathers who leave home. May mga percentages and a lot of them end up in jail, some of them become homosexual also kaya ang laki ng effect ng father who leaves home.”

Kuh doesn’t know if GMA is open to the idea of a part two because they have to be convinced that the storyline would be okay.

'I told [GMA] that they always take risks so why don’t they take the risk [of doing Part 2?]'

We asked if she’s willing to be part of the part two, she said “Oo naman! Why not?”

If there is a sequel of the hit series, what should it tackle?

“Solution. Tamang solution, real life solution that lasts,' suggested Kuh. 'That is what I think the part two should be, I mean knowing what I know now that in a Christ centered marriage, in a Christ centered life, there is. But without Christ, we are lost.”

CONTROVERSIAL AMONG CHRISTIANS. The Pop Diva also admits that she received 'a bit of flak' when she accepted a role in the gay-themed teleserye My Husband's Lover.

The actress, who has been a Christian for the past 16 years, recalled that some members of her community questioned why she accepted a controversial project that tackled homosexuality.

“There were some people who asked why I accepted such a project.

“I actually said to them, 'This show is actually good because it brought an awakening to single women who are ready to get married, who wants to get married na dapat kilatisin nila ang mga lalaking papakasalan nila.'”

The hit GMA-7 show My Husband’s Lover aired its pilot episode on June 2013.

It revolved around Lally (Carla Abellana), a woman who marries early after being impregnated by her boyfriend Vincent (Tom Rodriguez). Despite his good intentions, Vincent hides a deep secret that threatens his marriage: his undeniable attraction to men.

When Vincent encounters his former flame Eric (Dennis Trillo) who is openly gay, Vincent enters into a passionate affair that even Lally cannot ignore in her innocent devotion to her husband. Lally refuses to give up on her marriage and the future of her children, and she makes a bold decision that will change their lives.

It received a lot of criticism because it is the Philippines’ first gay-themed TV drama series that focused on homosexuality and infidelity. The show tackled many relevant social issues such as homosexual and bisexual relationships, homophobia in context and society’s discrimination against homosexuals, pre-marital sex and the setbacks of early or unplanned marriages.

Kuh was cast as Elaine Soriano, the loving mother of Vincent (Tom Rodriguez).

When asked about the criticisms she received, she clarified, 'Hindi naman criticized, nagtanong lang sila siyempre My Husband’s Lover it’s a very controversial title so inexplain ko lang...

“Christians are not really big on watching teleseryes and as a Christian kasi we have to watch the things that we do. Pero in-explain ko sa kanila that there is a positive effect in showing this teleserye kasi napakaprevalent sa society natin ang mga closet husbands.”

When she first learned that My Husband's Lover would tackle homosexuality, did she hesitate back then to accept the project?

“Oo naman! Siyempre, siyempre. Pinagisipan ko parang nung una, ‘Ah!’ nakakashock. You know pinagpray ko naman. Sabi ko, 'Lord kung para sa 'kin 'yan if not close the door.'

'[Now] I am able to bring [this story] because I do a lot of talks, I counsel a lot of women so nabi-bring ko yung story, I am able to use it as an example. Not that I need it to counsel, you know what I mean but I’m able to show that it is real life, talagang nangyayari sa atin.”

There were also talks about Tom and Dennis kissing on the show, but Kuh dismissed it by saying, “Hindi ko makita kaya safe, pero wala namang in-air na kiss.”

When asked what she learned about homosexuals while doing the show, she said, “Hindi naman tayo kulang sa information, di ba? Para sa akin it was very well done in such a way na hindi siya malaswa.

'What did I learn? No, what this thing taught me is that the reason why it became number one is because a lot of women relate to it. They have husbands, even straight men, na hindi openly.. Maybe it’s not their lifestyle, but talagang nagkakaroon sila, bumabalik sila sa ganung klaseng lifestyle because of temptation and also because of the past they are trying to struggle with na a lot of men who have been molested pwedeng they don’t want it that kind of lifestyle because of the way they were raised.

'Maybe strict parents, maybe conscience na alam talaga nila mali pero kaso you know, tawag ng flesh 'yan, e. Nagkakaroon ng temptation and also because more and more in the Philippines mas maraming gays na ngayon, mas open na, hindi na sila nahihiya.They are proud to say they are, di ba?

'So ang natutunan ko diyan talagang a lot of people are going through something like this. Kasi why would a socialite woman...would she be able to relate to something like this unless it’s happening in our life, right?” -- For more showbiz news, visit PEP.ph