The public knows Nadine Lustre as an empowered young woman, someone brave enough to create positivity out of whatever life throws down her way. But being able to gather such power and strength has not been easy for her. Insecurities triggered by adolescence added more to the struggle.
“It’s a long process. Growing up, I had a lot of insecurities. I had a lot of things that I wanted to change, physically. Feeling ko ang daming mali sa akin,” Nadine told veteran host Boy Abunda during a guesting for TWBA.
Her biggest insecurity then was her skin color and this grew worse when she started to pursue a showbiz career. She could still remember feeling small in a long line of aspirants dominated by mestiza girls during VTR auditions.
Nadine’s self-esteem would always come crushing down and she started to believe that women with fair skin always get the role. “There was a point in my life na sinabi ko, ‘Sana mestiza na lang din ako so I could get projects.’” Nadine sorted the dilemma by splurging on skin whitening products just to achieve her desired color, and ease the insecurities somehow.
There eventually came a time when she realized that the only way to overcome these “flaws” is learn how to embrace them, and that’s exactly what she did. “And because I’m free from those insecurities and negativity, I have the power,” she said.
“I realized that I’m unique and no else has what I have, so I just have to be proud of it and embrace it,” Nadine added, drawing applause from the audience and Tito Boy himself.
“You’ve become one of the biggest young stars of today without having to change anything. What you are is beautiful,” Tito Boy told the Multimedia Princess.