Kris Aquino

It’s not presumptuous to say that everybody in the country knows who Kris Aquino is. She is one the Philippines’ larger-than-life celebrities. The daughter of a national hero and a former president, Kris is also the country’s undisputed Queen of Talk, as well as one of the most bankable actresses and product endorsers around.

Born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1971, Kristina Bernadette Aquino is the youngest daughter of Ninoy Aquino and former President Corazon Aquino. Kris gained national exposure even as young girl; at five years old, she was seen as a constant image during her father’s campaign rallies. She spent most of her childhood in the States due to her family’s exile during the early 80s. After the People Power Revolution of 1986, which was spurned by her father’s assassination, Kris and her family moved back to the Philippines. She began stepping into the limelight, appearing on TV shows. She finally made her film debut in 1990 in the Rene Requiestas starrer Pido Dida. The comedy film became a blockbuster hit, and Kris was named Box Office Queen for that year. She also starred in the film’s sequel the following year. Despite her showbiz commitments, Kris managed to finish high school at the Colegio de San Agustin and earned an English Literature degree from the Ateneo de Manila University.

The young Kris appeared in a slew of massacre-films from 1992-1994, which earned her the nickname “Massacre Queen.” She got an award nomination for her role in The Fatima Buen Story.

Kris signed off with ABS-CBN and starred in a short-lived comedy show Luv Ko Si Kris. She also starred in several movies, and it was during this period that Kris got into a scandalous affair with actor Philip Salvador, who is a married man. She became pregnant and bore him a son, Joshua.

Because of the lull in her movie career, Kris decided to go back to TV, and it was on the showbiz talk show, Startalk, which she shared with Boy Abunda and Lolit Solis, that her hosting capabilities were noticed by the networks. ABS-CBN gave her a contract which made her host several shows, including Today with Kris Aquino, The Buzz and the game show Game KNB?.

She is now married to PBA superstar James Yap.

Her relentless wit and her trademark colegiala diction became a hit among the viewers. Her recent movies became hits, most notably the film Sukob, said to be the highest-grossing Filipino film of all time. Kris has amassed millions from her countless product endorsements; to date, she is said to be at par with Megastar Sharon Cuneta when it comes to number of endorsements.

Lovelife and Controversies

Kris has been involved with several headline-grabbing scandals which marked her career. After her adulterous relationship with Philip Salvador, she became involved with actor Joey Marquez, who was the Paranaque mayor during that time. Their relationship ended scandalously; on national TV with Korina Sanchez, Kris admitted her relationship with Joey, claiming that the actor was hurting her physically and issuing grave threats. Kris also admitted that Joey gave her an STD. This revelation made Korina’s show the highest-rating news segment in local broadcasting history.

In early 2007, another scandal rocked Kris’ life. A former receptionist who worked for the Belo Medical Group claimed that she and James Yap had an affair. James vehemently denied the claims during an interview with Korina Sanchez.