"She got lied on and was manipulated": Netizens defend Maris Racal from online hate amid Anthony Jennings screenshot controversy 

On December 6, Filipino actress and singer Maris Racal appeared on ABS-CBN News and issued an apology during the interview. The apology came amid the alleged infidelity controversy surrounding Anthony Jennings, his former girlfriend Jamela Villanueva, and Racal.

During the conversation, Maris Racal claimed that she had no idea that Anthony was already in a relationship with Jamela when they started dating in June 2024. Racal added that she often asked Anthony about his relationship status but he insisted that he was single. The 27-year-old actress said:

"Today I will take accountability for everything… And I wanna say sorry for everything that I’ve done."

The controversy had already become a much-talked-about topic on the internet. Many netizens began bashing Maris for dating Jennings. While she had been getting scrutinized on the internet, many have come forward defending Maris Racal claiming that she was lied to. An X user defended Maris and wrote:

"Maris Racal is also a victim of a boy who will never man up on for his actions, sure she has fault too but she got lied on and was manipulated."

Another user wrote:

"It’s always hard when both parties have faults, but being lied to and manipulated hits on a different level."

"A woman’s s*xuality being highlighted, criticized, and mocked, while a man’s infidelity is just a given," argued another netizen.

Many netizens continued bashing and trolling Maris amid the cheating drama. Many even believed that she was aware that Anthony was already in a relationship. A user tweeted:

"'Lied on' is the new narrative to escape accountability. She knew the guy is still in a relationship."

"Jam is the only victim here!" read a tweet.

"Maris is not a victim. She was an active participant in this," commented a user.

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Both Anthony Jennings and Maris Racal had issued apologies amid the alleged cheating drama

While Maris Racal issued an apology when she appeared for the exclusive interview on Friday, Anthony Jennings too apologized after being accused of infidelity by his ex-girlfriend. On December 6, Anthony's statement appeared ABS-CBN News’ YouTube channel. He said:

"Sa lahat ng mga nangyari noong nakaraang araw, sa lahat ng mga taong nasaktan ko especially po sina Maris tsaka si Jam, humihingi po ako ng tawad sa dalawang babae."

This could further be translated to:

"I want to apologize to the two women, Maris and Jam, especially after everything that happened and for causing people pain."

Maris Racal's career seems to be getting affected due to the cheating allegations. She has lost at least one major endorsement since the controversy began.

Dazzle Me, a cosmetic brand, shared on their social media feed that they were ending their partnership with Maris. While they called Maris "a bold and inspiring Gen Z icon," they also stated that they had to follow certain steps to abide by the principles that they followed as a brand.