Maria Sofia Love — once a viral figure known for her signature catchphrases — has returned to the public eye. On 31 May 2025, Sofia went live on Facebook, delivering an eight-minute video that marked a profound turning point in her life.

Gone was the flashy persona of yesteryears. In her place stood a man with a shaved head, eyes searching for the right words to convey a personal transformation shaped by pain, reflection, and rediscovered faith.

Sofia announced that he had detransitioned, stepping away from the trans identity he had lived with for nearly two decades.

“Nagpalakas lang talaga ako ng loob ko para bumalik, para i-share ang kabutihan na ginawa ng Diyos sa buhay ko,” he said. “Napaka-unfair naman kung hindi ko i-share.”

Now 42, Maria Sofia Love — whose real name remains publicly unconfirmed — became a household name in 2015.

From saying “Pak!” with conviction to strutting down city streets in DIY fashion shows “para sa ekonomiya,” Sofia represented unapologetic freedom for many online. But behind the charisma, he says, was a heart in search of love.

In the livestream, Sofia shared that years of cosmetic surgery, fleeting validation, and relationships masked a deeper emotional void. He revealed that a traumatic childhood marked by a lack of affection left him yearning for love in all the wrong places.

“Lumaki akong kulang na kulang sa pagmamahal… kaya pala, pighati ang ending ng lolo mo.”

“Bigla ko na lang nakita ang sarili ko na lalaki,” he said. “Nakita ko ang buong buhay ko in an instant.”

That instant, he believes, was not just psychological but spiritual — a mysterious encounter with God that prompted overwhelming remorse and a powerful sense of release.

Sofia now embraces his identity as a gay man, no longer identifying as a trans woman. He continues to experience same-sex attraction but says he has learned to surrender it to what he believes is a higher calling.

“Tanggap ko na bading ako… pero ‘yung same-sex attraction, puwede palang ma-overcome sa kapangyarihan ng Diyos.”

Detransitioning is a deeply personal experience and one that varies greatly across the LGBTQ+ community. Sofia acknowledges that his journey is unique and cautions others not to follow his former path blindly.

“Sana huwag niyong gayahin ‘yung mga ginawa ko dati… although natuto rin naman ako.”

Rather than condemnation or regret, Sofia’s message carries a desire to witness — to offer his story as a testimony of what he sees as divine intervention.

Maria Sofia Love’s return is not without reminders of her complicated public past. In 2017, she drew national ire after dancing provocatively to the Philippine national anthem, prompting lawmakers and cultural agencies to condemn the act as offensive. Her fame faded soon after, marred by criticism and ridicule.

Now, Sofia seems less interested in reclaiming the spotlight and more focused on reclaiming inner peace.

“Wala nang kagat ang mga material sa akin… hindi ko na kailangan ng approval.”

His transformation is not framed as an erasure of who he was, but as a rediscovery of who he believes he was meant to be. He attributes his change not to pressure or public opinion but to a deeply personal encounter with God.

“Sana mahanap niyo rin ang totoong kaligayahan na hindi nakikita… you have to taste and see the goodness of God.”