For the longest time, Issa Pressman chose silence. In a world where narratives are often written for women — especially those who dare to love, dare to heal, and dare to live outside the norms — Issa carried her truth quietly. But on November 13, the actress and artist finally chooses to reclaim her voice in an emotional, unfiltered interview with Karen Davila on @KarenDavilaOfficial.

What unfolds is not a celebrity exposé. It is a testimony — a life cracked open so others may feel less alone.

A PRIVATE BATTLE, NOW SPOKEN ALOUD

Issa reveals for the first time her three-year struggle with anxiety, depression, and self-harm — a chapter she had endured privately while facing relentless social media bullying. For many, she was the “issue,” the subject of rumors. But in truth, she was fighting a battle that nearly stole her life.

“I learned how to breathe again,” she says softly, a line that captures both the fragility and strength of someone who survived what many never see.

Issa’s story reminds us how bullying can push people to the edge, how online cruelty can latch onto private pain, and how silence — the kind demanded by fear — can be fatal.

LOVE AS LIFELINE

When Issa opens the doors of her home, viewers see a moment so raw it feels sacred: she breaks down, and beside her, James Reid holds back his own tears. The scene is quiet but thunderous.

For Issa, James and her sister Yassi Pressman were her anchors — not perfect shields, but constant companions.

“James showed me what patience and presence mean,” she shares. Yassi, on the other hand, was her mirror and her reminder of who she was before pain took over.

In an industry obsessed with perfection, Issa shows what love looks like in its simplest, most necessary form: someone staying.

THE WOUNDS OF THE PAST — AND THE BULLYING THAT WOULDN’T STOP

Issa also confronts the years of speculation and cruelty tied to her relationship with James. She discloses, without bitterness, that she was only the second woman James dated after his 2019 breakup with Nadine Lustre — a fact twisted into countless narratives that cast her as a villain.

“I kept quiet hoping the rumors would die,” Issa says.

“But the bullying… it didn’t stop.”

This became one of her darkest periods, where online harassment compounded her already fragile mental state. She speaks of the desperation, the fear of losing herself, and the painful reality that public scrutiny can destroy private stability.

Her plea is clear, quiet, and devastating:

“We need this bullying to stop. I don’t want to lose another beautiful soul.”

ROOTED IN RESILIENCE

Issa retraces her beginnings with Yassi — two young girls trying to keep their family afloat after their father lost his job and their mother had to leave the Philippines to work abroad. It was a childhood marked not by comfort, but by grit.

They grew up understanding survival. And somehow, Issa says, it prepared her for the emotional storms of adulthood — though it never made them easier.

A STORY THAT SAVES

This conversation with Karen Davila is more than Issa’s catharsis. It becomes a powerful campaign against silence — the kind that hides mental illness, masks emotional wounds, and protects bullies more than the bullied.

Issa’s vulnerability asserts a message many need to hear:

Speaking about pain is not weakness.

It is courage.

It is survival.

WHY HER STORY MATTERS NOW

In a generation struggling with mental health, in a digital world where cruelty is only a click away, Issa’s confession holds weight. It validates the quiet battles, the unspoken scars, and the countless people fighting demons while pretending to be okay.

Her interview reminds us:

• Behind every smile is a story we do not know.

• Kindness can save a life.

• And asking for help is an act of bravery, not shame.

A CALL TO COMPASSION

Issa’s journey is not yet over — and she doesn’t pretend it is. But by speaking, she lights a path for anyone still trapped in the dark.

On November 13, her story becomes a beacon — not for gossip, not for spectacle — but for healing.

Watch the full exclusive on Karen Davila Official and join this conversation on ending bullying, embracing mental health awareness, and choosing love over assumptions.

Because sometimes, the bravest thing anyone can do is say:

“This is my pain — and I survived.”