Zack Tabudlo, a popular OPM singer, performed at the University of Santo Tomas’ (UST) annual Paskuhan celebration on Wednesday, December 17.
While on stage, the singer was spotted wearing a gray shirt, visibly sweaty from his performance, which sparked rumors and online bashing. Some netizens speculated that he had body odor and looked greasy. Moreover, body-shaming comments began to circulate.
@zack.tabudlo please spread kindness. 🫶🏻 ♬ original sound - Zack Tabudlo
In response, Tabudlo shared a message on TikTok, addressing the backlash: “I think I’ve been in the industry for a while now, and I’ve gone through so many rumors and issues that you just get numb to it. You reach a point where you see these comments, and yeah, it sucks, but at the same time, you realize people don’t change.”
He continued, “I’m painted on social media as this smelly, ugly kid who has an attitude, who’s always late, who doesn’t dress well, who is fat, ugly, and can’t sing, and slams doors at people when it’s not even 10:15 yet."
“That’s crazy when you talk to people who know me—people who are with me, who love me behind closed doors. These are my friends in the industry, some of the biggest names in the industry that you all know, as well as my family and my partner,” he added.
Tabudlo further explained, “We’re all aware of trolls. And for anyone who doesn’t know, trolls are anonymous accounts created to leave negative comments on social media about public figures. They use the anonymity of the internet to spread hate, and those comments get thousands of likes, making the person being targeted appear as ‘this guy,’ a bad person.”
“It’s crazy how it works. I think the past few years have been tough. I started off with songs like ‘Nangangamba’ and ‘Binibini,’ and you all know those songs. It’s just unfortunate how the image that social media created for me became this stereotype you now associate with me.”
Tabudlo also reflected on how toxic social media can be, saying, “The past few months have shown us just how badly things can escalate for people who aren’t equipped to handle this kind of situation.”
He went on to say, “All the dreams I’ve worked for, to be an artist, have become secondary. The first thing people know about me now is this person—this version of me.”
The singer wrapped up his statement with a call for understanding: “Now, social media has become a scary place. You can’t express yourself, your art, your music, or your passion freely. One viral comment can turn you into something you’re not."
“That’s all I wanted to say. I just wanted to raise awareness through my platform. And guys, at the end of the day, we’re all human.”
