Jerald Napoles candidly opened up about a childhood memory that left a lasting impact on how he viewed himself growing up.

During a recent media interview, the actor recalled being deeply affected after his grandmother jokingly — yet bluntly — told him he was not good-looking.

“Sumalangit nawa but I love her so much, lola ko, e,” Jerald shared. “Sabi ng lola ko, ‘Ang arte-arte mo. Kung inaakala mong pogi ka, hindi ka pogi, ha? Pangit ka, ha!’”

Although he now looks back at the moment with humor and understanding, Jerald admitted the words hurt him deeply at the time because they came from someone he loved dearly.

“Nagulat ako. Puwede naman hanggang du’n lang sa ‘hindi ka pogi.’ Huwag na du’n sa ‘pangit ka,’” he recalled with a laugh.

The actor revealed that he even cried after hearing the comment, saying it was difficult to process criticism from his own grandmother.

“Umiyak ako noon kasi lola ko ‘yun, e. Ang hirap sabihan ng ‘Uy, pangit ka!’ Tapos hindi ako maka-rebuttal sa ‘yo,” he said.

Instead of letting the experience define him negatively, Jerald said it motivated him to focus on qualities beyond physical appearance.

“Kung may talino ako, du’n ako. Kung yayaman ako, dahil matalino at masipag ako,” he explained.

Years later, Jerald said he has come to understand the deeper lesson behind his grandmother’s harsh honesty, believing she wanted to prepare him for the realities of life and teach him not to rely solely on validation from others.

“Ang naiintindihan ko is harsh ang mundo. Huwag mong ilagay sa utak mo itong bagay na ikaw lang ang makakaintindi,” he reflected.