Over the past three rounds of “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” Pepe Herrera managed to bring entertainment and laughter through his performances and banter with the hosts, jury, and other celebrity performers—not to mention that he was also among the top scorers.
But avid viewers of the reality talent show were shocked when hosts Vhong Navarro and Jhong Hilario announced in the November 15 episode—when the Theater Rak-Star was supposed to be the first performer—that he had withdrawn from the competition due to health concerns.
While they didn’t elaborate on it, Pepe sent a heartfelt video where he opened up about his condition by reading the love letter he had personally written.
He may have always looked happy and playful even beyond his “Your Face Sounds Familiar” stint, but Pepe confessed that he actually hasn’t been well for decades and that he has been battling depression and anxiety attacks alternately since he was 13 years old.
That could have been fatal, but he managed to survive as he was able to escape them through band-aid solutions—not confronting his traumatic experiences head on and hiding it from other people by putting on a mask—which, in the long run, have only made his condition worse.
The theater thespian-turned-onscreen actor also disclosed that he has been undergoing psychotherapy after recently experiencing panic attacks in the evening, which either left him staying awake until the sun rises or not sleeping at all.
“The combination of insomnia and anxiety is making my body experience regular tremors and numbness in different parts of my body. Chest pains and headaches are worsening, and there are times when my thoughts are becoming darker and darker. I feel like I’m drowning.”
Pepe reached his turning point after a severe chest pain that triggered his mental breakdown and panic attack, because he thought that he was already dying.
Thankfully, the pain stopped and he has since then promised not to abuse his body again.
A long, insighftul conversation with his wife made him decide to finally focus and commit to getting treatment while taking an indefinite leave from work.
It might be a difficult decision for him to make considering that he’s the breadwinner of their family, but his wife expressed full support for him as she believes that this is something that really needs to be done.
“To my ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar’ family, I’m sorry if I have to leave. I’m sharing this unfiltered information because you deserve the whole truth. I’m grateful for the family we have created even for just a short time,” he wrote in the letter.
He then went on to thank some of the staff and crew, as well as the hosts, coaches, judges, and other celebrity performers, and, at the same time, apologized for the sudden changes that his unexpected departure had caused. He also promised everyone that, from now on, we’re going to see the most sincere and truthful version of him.
“For those who are also struggling, I hope you get the help you need and the healing that you deserve. I hope you rediscover the courage to work on that for yourself and your family. Please don’t forget that you’re never alone,” he addressed those people who are struggling with their mental health, too, and requested the mental health hotlines to be flashed onscreen after the video, as it might save someone’s life.
Do not miss an episode of “Your Face Sounds Familiar” every weekend night, 7:15PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), A2Z and iWant. Viewers can also catch it on TV5 every Saturday, at 8:15 p.m., and Sundays, at 8:30 p.m..