Actress Cristine Reyes found herself at the center of controversy on Wednesday after posting a throwback photo with Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who recently passed away due to a pneumonia infection while on vacation in Japan.

In a now-deleted post on her official Facebook page, Reyes shared a heartfelt tribute to Hsu, known for her iconic role as San Chai in Meteor Garden.

“Rest in peace, our childhood favorite,” she wrote, followed by a white heart emoji.

However, the post took an unexpected turn when she added:

“Also, happy 36th birthday sa akin ngayon araw na ‘to 2-5-25,” she wrote, seemingly celebrating her birthday in the same post.

("Also, happy 36th birthday to me today, 2-5-25.")

As the post quickly went viral, netizens criticized Reyes for what they perceived as an insensitive mix of tribute and self-celebration.

Responding to the backlash, Reyes took to Instagram to clarify her intentions, posting.

“Maligayang kaarawan sa akin. Yun lang.. oks na,” she wrote.

("Happy birthday to me. That's all.. okay.")

She then expressed frustration over the criticism, saying:

“Kailangan laging perfect, Bawal magkamali nowadays.. May kalupitan na kapalit sa mga bagay kapag nagkamali, e diba?”

("You always have to be perfect, you can't make mistakes nowadays.. There's a cruel consequence to things when you make mistakes, right?")

In a sarcastic tone, she added: “Marahil ako nga talaga ay nagluluksa ngayong kaarawan ko. Good?”

("Perhaps, I am truly mourning this my birthday. Good?")

Although Reyes has since deleted the original Facebook post, screenshots have already circulated across social media, continuing the online discussion about her statement.