How Jennylyn got caught in the crossfire of Xian and Kim’s breakup
LITERALLY a series at its shortest on love that is bound to die with no more repeat. Such is the sad fate that befalls GMA’s “Love. Die. Repeat.” (LDR), which goes off the air in the coming days.
A supposed comeback vehicle on TV of Jennylyn Mercado in 2021, filming had to be called off in September of the same year due to the lead actress’ medical emergency. It was later found that Jennylyn would become a mother anew, this time with husband Dennis Trillo. [Jennylyn has a 15-yearold son with actor Patrick Garcia].
Meanwhile, LDR was supposedly the “unofficial entry point” of her leading man Xian Lim — a transferee from ABS-CBN — to GMA. In lieu of the temporarily shelved project, Xian was cast in a forgettable fantaserye that hardly competed in the ratings game.
Several months after giving birth, Jennylyn was all set to face the cameras again. LDR resumed taping in April 2023 and wrapped up in November.
Seven months of taping for a three-month airing? Well, that’s how it is — or has been — particularly on GMA, with the exception of consistent top-rating programs.
So, is the Jennylyn-Xian show a flop?
The production peeps are quick to justify that, among other things, LDR is a mini-series or a show equivalent to 13 weeks. In TV parlance, a mini-series stays on air for one season. Whether it falls short of expectations is another story.
In LDR’s case, an insider shares: “Hindi naman kataasan ang ratings, pero hindi rin naman kababaan.” (Its ratings are neither very high nor very low).
But is it true that between the lead cast members, it is Xian who is taking the blame for LDR’s notso-impressive ratings?
Well-placed sources find a direct link between the rating figures and Xian’s bad publicity as of late, involving his erstwhile girlfriend, Kim Chiu.
In the breakup — sensationalized all over social media — it is Kim who is perceived as the aggrieved party and therefore gets public sympathy. Xian, naturally, is considered the bad boy who should await comeuppance.
Netizens sympathetic to Kim reference Ogie Diaz’s latest showbiz news feed moments before Xian allegedly broke up with Kim. Backed up by his reliable source, the talent manager-cum-content creator revealed that Xian even had his favorite steak prepared by Kim.
Over dinner, Xian said, “I think it’s better if we end our relationship in as much as your family as well as your friends don’t approve of me.”
He left Kim groping for words, unable to process what she heard.
Ogie’s item evoked such an instant reaction that, after a day or so, it was supposedly debunked by people in the know. Correction, please: their breakup was a mutual decision!
While I’m a bit too incredulous about the mutual decision angle, I’m much more inclined to believe that no man in his sane mind would have the audacity to lovingly request his favorite steak from his girlfriend only to use it as an opportunity to break loose from a relationship.
Kim — despite all her childish demeanor — surely knows better than that!
Also, a minus point for Xian is his reported dalliance with his producer, the equally pretty Iris Lee. Ogie further shared that Xian and Iris stayed in a single hotel room while in Bangkok, Thailand, for a possible location hunt in the movie under Xian’s helm.
The two were even sighted on the streets “holding (each other’s) hands while walking.”
Finally, the guessers to the “Is LDR a flop?” question seem to have only two answers to choose from now. Is the breakup that Xian initiated — as divulged by Ogie — the culprit? Or is it Xian’s having found an instant replacement for Kim? Whether it’s the first or the second, it is definitely the plethora of bad press that Xian got himself involved in that resulted in LDR’s poor ratings.
As far as the TV audience is concerned, the missing piece of the puzzle is that the Jennylyn-Xian mini-series is pitted against “Linlang” — and Linlang, of course, stars Kim (and Paulo Avelino).
Still, Jennylyn — an alumna of GMA’s first artista search, “Starstruck,” and one of the network’s prized possessions at that — does not deserve a mini-series exposure. It’s nothing short of putting her on GMA’s afternoon block when she’s supposed to be on primetime.