With three words, Nadine Lustre cleared Issa Pressman in her controversial breakup with James Reid, amid accusations tagging the model and artist as a supposed third party in the relationship.
“Love you both,” went Nadine’s comment on the Instagram post of fellow actress Yassi Pressman defending her younger sister against the allegations.
Nadine tagging both Yassi and Issa’s accounts in that reply, at least to her followers, was an indication that the actress has no ill feelings toward the woman whom some fans believed was the cause of “JaDine’s” separation.
Nadine has time and again identified Yassi, a fellow Viva talent and her former movie co-star, as one of her closest friends in showbiz. Issa is also under Viva Artists Agency, and has been seen in the same circle of friends as Nadine and James.
Like Yassi, Issa is also a dancer. The two performed together on ABS-CBN’s “ASAP Natin ‘To” in May 2017. For a time, Issa would also share dance covers on her YouTube channel “Issavibe.”
Whereas Yassi has fully embraced showbiz and acting — currently, the older Pressman stars in the long-running “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” — Issa has made conscious steps away from that kind of celebrity.
She has said she wants to be known “more as an artist than an actual celebrity.” Aside from being a makeup artist, Issa is a talented painter who recently launched an Instagram page dedicated to her works.
Despite shying away from mainstream showbiz, Issa has found herself sharing personal aspects of her life.
In November 2018, Issa made headlines when she introduced her girlfriend, singer Marga Bermudez, and identifying as bisexual. The two are reportedly no longer together.
On numerous occasions, Issa would also collaborate with her sister, leading to interviews that touch on their relationship and family.
Yassi and Issa are the only two children of Ronnie, who is British, and Belcy, a Filipino. Both were born in Hong Kong, and moved to the Philippines when they were children.
In a September 2017 interview, a tearful Issa promised her older sister she would do good on their father’s advice — “to be happy in everything that you do.”
Issa credited her older sister as her source of guidance, pointing out that Yassi matured early due to the absence of their mother, who had been working overseas.
Issa’s description of Yassi as “motherly” rang true on Wednesday, as the latter came to her defense and said she can’t stand idly by, as hurtful words continue to be hurled at her sister.