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As you would expect from someone who grew up in one of showbiz’s most influential clans, Kylie Padilla is known to be cautious in what she shares of herself. Despite taking on the roles of several strong female characters in her 15 year-career (Leonor Rivera in Ilustrado and Sang'gre Amihan in Encantadia, among others), the actress has hardly publicized her hero story in real life, often keeping mum about her personal battles no matter the urge to speak and control her narrative.
I think of all the schadenfreude, all the clickbait headlines, all the messy words thrown. I recall how women could relate to what Kylie has gone through—how these women felt broken, had to endure, and still found themselves standing strong in the end.
Kylie greeted me with a warm smile and let me prattle on about intellectualizing our feelings as she lent a listening ear. She came into the room with a vulnerable heart that was seemingly ready to come out of her shell and get real with her emotions.
Having recently entered her thirties, she’s smack-dab in the middle of reinventing herself. “When I started in showbiz, I was trying not to step on any toes. There was a template I was trying to follow. But after ng lahat ng nangyari sa'kin, I realized I should just be myself. We only live once, so why not be authentic and do what you want?”
Kylie is wearing a dress by Lulu Minx and a pair of knife boots from Balenciaga
It’s not always polite to stare, but it seems necessary when you’re in front of Kylie, who is the epitome of a double-tap-worthy, cool-girl algorithm IRL. One quick scroll on her Insta will give you a peek of comments likening her to Korean beauty Han So Hee, though the actress possesses a charm that’s distinctly her own.
As the team transformed her style from a black-haired sweetheart to a red-haired vixen, she couldn’t help but gush over the layouts. It was a multi-sensory treat for her, especially for someone who has a rare neurological condition called synesthesia. To put it simply, people like her have senses that blend together, which in Kylie’s case allows her to ~*taste*~ the visuals in front of her. “If I really like something, sobrang delicious. Parang ang sarap ng pics. That’s how I felt when I saw them.”
Kylie, who swears by the power of meditation in restoring her sacral chakra (the body’s energy center responsible for accepting change and letting go), is embracing aging gracefully—feeling better than she ever did in her teens or 20s. “Alam mo, when I was 29 and parating na yung 30 sa akin, takot na takot ako. Nung nag-30 ako, ang daming fears sa akin na kumalas. Ang daming kong pinakawalan na fears sa buhay ko. I don't care anymore. I don't care what guys think. I don't care what these people think. I just wanna do my own thing, and I'm really focused on myself.”
Kylie is wearing a custom-made top and pants by Austeen Soriano. Her heels are from Guiseppe Zanotti.
Kylie’s maturity is born of a girlhood spent in two countries, the Philippines and Australia, where her mom, former actress Liezl Sicangco, took her and her siblings when they were young. It’s public knowledge that her dad Robin Padilla had quite the matinee idol life, so she credits her mom for their grounded upbringing. “I really appreciate her for that kasi I don't think I'd be the same person kung dito ako lumaki and my dad's an artista. It'd be very different kasi in Australia, we weren't treated like we were anak ng artista.”
Just like her peers, Kylie had to commute and do her fair share of household chores and even struggled with normal teen girl insecurities. “In Australia kasi, tan yung pretty. I remember even comparing myself to my best friend, who's Australian and had the best tan. Iba talaga. Iba yung culture ng beauty there and beauty here,” she said.
Their unusual home setup certainly made their family closer, with Kylie looking back on the simplest moments as her fondest childhood memories. “Every Friday, dadalhin kami ng mom ko sa mall tapos manonood kami ng sine. Before we watch, kakain kami sa Japanese restaurant na favorite namin and I always order the same thing: tamago and tuna. Then maglalaro kami sa Timezone. Tapos yung parking, katabi ng beach. So may kasama nang swimming. Ganun lang buhay namin sa Australia.”
As for her dad, he influenced his daughters to love ~*boyish*~ hobbies like playing video games and embarking on outdoor adventures. “Yan naman yung treat niya for us. Hilig niya mag-travel. I remember, dinala niya kami sa Uluru, yung parang malaking stone doon sa Austalia. Tapos, dito naman, magpa-paintball kami. And ang hilig niya mag-laro ng video games. Resident Evil, Socom, ganun. Pinalaki niya kami na parang mga lalaki. Yung mga hilig niya, gagawin din namin.”
I asked how she was able to empower her feminist side in the presence of such icon of Filipino machismo, and Kylie offered quite the sensible response. “Actually, I think my dad helped. Kasi, nung sinabi ng kapatid ko (Queennie Padilla) na gusto niya mag-artista, she had training na. Sabi ko, ‘Parang interesting. Parang gusto ko rin i-try.’” Robin has one condition for him to agree: They should only star in action movies ala Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft. Kylie explained, “Gusto niya ilabas namin yung side na 'yon. Yung empowered woman side. Kasi kulang sa ganon nung time na yun before in the Philippines. So, oo naman ako. Kasi, na-enjoy ko naman talaga.”
Like every child who grew up away from a parent, Kylie is no stranger to tender moments whenever she and her dad would reunite. “For a while, when I was a kid, confused ako bakit minsan wala yung dad ko, hindi pa in-explain masyado na yun na nga, nagwo-work siya. And then, andun kami sa Australia. Tapos, nami-miss ko siya. I just remember the feeling of always missing my dad and wondering when he's gonna come home.”
“I remember, my mom told me, 'Uuwi yung tatay mo dadating na ganitong date. So, abangan niyo na.' So, umaga pa lang nandoon na ako sa labas, sa tabi ng mailbox namin. Naghihintay lang ako. Yun pala, hapon pa siya dapat dadating.”
She reflected on how her relationship with her dad impacted her viewpoint on love. “As a young girl, sabi niya na, first love mo talaga is your dad. So, I knew na ganito ako mag-mahal. I'm gonna wait.”
Much has been said and written about her tumultuous—to say the least—past relationship with her ex-husband Aljur Abrenica. But for Kylie, loving and losing is a normal way of life that people shouldn’t have feasted on. “I have no regrets naman. I just wish that some things remained private.”
Kylie is wearing a top by La Glamour Queen
“Kasi lahat naman tayo, ano e, pagdadaanan natin e. It's part of life too, 'di ba? Not all loves are meant to be forever. Yung pinakamasakit lang talaga is mine was so public. And ang daming involved na hindi naman involved noong una.”
She continued, “Sometimes, I just wish hindi nagka-ganun. Kasi 'pag highs, okay ka kapag public e. Yun yung masaya e. Pero kapag lows na, nawawala minsan yung line that we shouldn't cross. My kids were there also. I think nakalimutan na there were kids who were also processing. So, hanggang ngayon, minsan na, ano, gusto ko magsalita na, please, just respect.”
Kylie is wearing a sleeveless jumpsuit by La Glamour Queen
Despite everything, she wouldn’t rewrite the chapter even if she had to go through hell, heaven, and the throes of agony again. Anything for her kids Alas and Axl. “Nung nag-kabalikan kami, I really needed a friend. And I knew that he was a friend. Kasi okay naman kami as friends e. Gaya ngayon, 'di ba? We're co-parenting now. Meron talaga kami na-establish na friendship. No, I wouldn’t have done things differently.”
“Because, if I didn't, if we didn't get back together, then I won't have my two kids. So hindi ko talaga pwede ibalik. I would rather be who I am now, a mom, a young mom with two kids, single. Walang kapalit, e. Walang kapalit talaga yung, yung mga ngiti ng mga anak ko. So no regrets.”
It took time for Kylie to move forward, but if there’s anything she learned: It’s the value of walking away from situations that no longer serve her. It’s not about how much you love and care for a person, it’s about choosing to end a cycle that hurts more than it protects. “Hindi ako papayag na makita ng mga anak ko na malungkot ako nang matagal. Because, my mom is very self-sacrificing and I appreciate her for that. Sobrang giving na tao ng mom ko. But, I wish din that she did something for herself. She really sacrificed everything.”
“And, my experience of watching her when I was young, parang ayokong maulit. I just wanna break that cycle. I gotta move on.”
Now, she’s ready to put in the effort, showing up as a braver, more unapologetic version of herself. “People pleaser talaga ako. Because very aware ako na I have to be careful kasi nga my dad's a public figure. But I think masyado ko siyang pinractice at yung voice ko as Kylie nawala.”
“So, for a long time, oo lang ako. May mga roles na dumaan sa'kin na hindi ko nagawa kasi nga I couldn't do it. Maybe it was too sexy or something. Pero feeling ko nawala yung opportunity to prove myself as an actress. Kasi I was trying to follow a certain image.”
The future is shaping up to be exciting for Kylie, who aims to take on more challenging acting roles and delve into passion projects close to her heart: an intimate podcast, ~feelsy~ poetry book, and a self-written film. She wants to be known as a woman who moves with purpose. Not for her dad, not for a boyfriend, not for her ex. But for the fighter that she is. For being Kylie—and the cool things she’s got up her sleeve.
PRODUCED BY: Patricia Melliza and Cass Lazaro
PHOTOGRAPHY: Dennis Sulit
ART DIRECTION: Pau Moyano
SITTINGS EDITORS: Ira Nopuente and Andie Estella
STYLING: Pat Pleno of Studio 24c, assisted by Alvin Navarro of Studio 24c
MAKEUP: Gela Laurel Stehmeier, assisted by Angelika Estrebella
HAIRSTYLING: Mark Ibarrola
WIGS: Jhen Hair Extensions for Kylie's black wig and Wigs Shoppe for Kylie's red wig
NAILS: Nailandia
WORDS BY: Cass Lazaro
VIDEOS: Jez Villapando
SOCIAL MEDIA: Aina Lizarondo, assisted by Maui Icasiano
