Content warning: This article contains topics on mental health and depression.
“This is who I really am.”
This was the simple yet honest statement of Nic Chien, the son of globally renowned theater icon Lea Salonga, as he talked about his journey as a transgender man in an interview with Korina Sanchez on Rated Korina. Detailing his journey, Nic also spoke with openness and shared his struggle with the gender dysphoria he experienced along the way.
According to Mayo Clinic, Gender dysphoria is a “feeling of distress that can happen when a person's gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth.”
Earlier this week, Nic spoke candidly about coming to terms with his identity and the emotions that came with that realization. He explained that transitioning did not change who he was at his core but finally allowed him to live in a way that felt true to himself.
“I am not a different person. I am still Nicole, but I’m not called Nicole anymore because I am not a ‘Nicole’. But I’m still the same person. Some social things might change because I’m a guy, which is fine,” he said.
READ: Lea Salonga's son Nic Chien reveals that he is bisexual: ‘I am okay with saying that out loud’
Nic said that before transitioning, he struggled deeply with gender dysphoria, something that took a toll on his mental health, especially during his teenage years.
“I’m mostly adjusted now but growing up...you know, teenagers. I remember my mental health... I think it hit me up on 14 [years old]. I’m also diagnosed with depression, and I take medication for my depression. It’s a process. I actually think a lot of it was also due to gender dysphoria,” he explained.
He described how difficult it was to see himself in the mirror and feel that the image that reflected did not match who he knew himself to be.
“I am insecure in a sense that I knew when someone look at me, they wouldn’t see what I wanted to be...they wouldn’t see a man. They would see a girl. I think that idea [was] so tragic in my mind,” Nic shared. “Just seeing the littlest things, not even that big, like certain curves in my face that weren’t sharp enough or my shoulders not wide enough, small things. It really affected me. I hated that. I hated looking in the mirror and seeing that. [I hate] looking at pictures of myself, seeing that and having people not see me as a guy.”
Nic is currently undergoing testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), a major step in his transition. While he shared that he is now very happy with his decision, he recalled how difficult it was to decide when to begin, especially as a theater actor.
At the time, Nic was preparing to play Jack in the Philippine production of Into the Woods. Nic recalled how he and his mother, Lea, sat down to talk about when to start hormone therapy, considering possible voice changes and other physical effects that could impact his performance.
“I had a breakdown because I couldn’t weigh it anymore. I was in so much mental, internal agony. I can’t even put it into words,” Nic recalled.
Despite the uncertainties, Lea chose to fully support her son and allowed him to begin hormone therapy even before the show opened in August 2025.
“Honestly, it worked out,” Nic said.
READ: Nic Chien celebrates milestone in transition journey after undergoing top surgery
According to Nic, he started testosterone therapy in March 2025. Even after making the decision, he admitted feeling nervous about the permanent changes it would bring, but ultimately felt grateful and relieved to have taken that step.
As he spoke about the physical changes that came with his transition, Nic’s happiness was evident especially when talking about his lower voice and visible Adam’s apple.
“I love it!” he exclaimed, recalling his first reaction upon seeing his Adam’s apple, a moment he described with visible excitement and joy during the interview.
Last November, Nic also surprised many online when he shared a topless photo in celebration of Transgender Awareness Week, revealing that he had undergone top surgery. He shared that the decision was rooted in an earlier experience that made him realize how freeing it could be to feel comfortable in his own body.
“I would wear [a trans tape]. I remember during a class trip in high school, I wore that to the beach for the first time...The liberation of being able to go to the beach without a shirt on is insane. I feel like it’s crazy. I think every moment thinking about it is important. I just remember that feeling and I would think about that feeling before I got [top surgery] and thought ‘yes, I think I want to do this.’”
Just last January, Lea also spoke publicly about her son’s journey, expressing full support alongside Nic’s father, Robert Chien. She shared that Nic’s transition has brought positive changes into his life.
“When there is change, the voice drops, body hair, it was a much more positive outcome... I just want a happy kid,” she said.
Lea also opened about how difficult it was to see her son struggle with gender dysphoria.
“The dysphoria was a lot to deal with. It was affecting his mental health and every aspect of his life. To be his mom and to feel helpless, it is a terrible feeling,” she explained. “There is a feeling of guilt when you are unable to help your child. It is truly difficult.”
She added that hormone therapy and family support helped Nic grow more confident and comfortable in his body.
“But with testosterone therapy and everything else, working with his therapist just figuring out how to be happy in his body, being confident to show the results – everyone in the family is so happy that he knew what he wanted,” she said.
For Lea, her role as a parent was always clear, saying: “My job as his mom was try and figure it how to get things done.”
She also addressed criticism from those who may not agree with their decisions, standing firm in prioritizing her child’s well-being.
“I am aware there are folks that will not understand or have a very negative opinion of the decisions we made for his health and own navigation of the world as a trans man—my only thing is I have to do what I need to do to help my child.”
Lea ended with a strong message for parents.
“To those who do not have kids, if you think you will not be able to love your child if they come out to you—if they say ‘mom, I'm lesbian, bisexual or trans,’ if under those conditions your love will stop. Do not have children save yourself the drama and heartbreak. If hindi mo kaya, wag na lang.”
“Children are not customizable. Every kid is a blind box. You don’t know what you will get – but chances are it is the one you don’t want but that is what you will get,” she maintained.