After years of growing up in the public eye, Barbie Forteza has reached a point in her career where she no longer feels compelled to win everyone’s approval.

The actress opened up about her stronger sense of self during her August 28 appearance on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” where she was confronted with a straightforward question: Has success made her a little arrogant?

Forteza did not shy away from the subject. Instead, she explained that what some people may perceive as yabang is something she considers confidence—an assurance built through years of hard work and experience in show business.

“Well, I wouldn’t say pagmamalaki ’yun kasi base sa sinabi ko sa inyo kanina, tinrabaho ko kung nasaan na ako ngayon,” she said.

For Forteza, reaching her present position did not happen overnight. Her confidence comes with the knowledge of what she has invested in her craft and the challenges she has encountered along the way.

“So if it seems like pagmamayabang, I really don’t care kasi I work hard to be where I am right now,” she added.

It is a mindset that represents a change from the younger Barbie, who admitted that there was a time when other people’s opinions could easily affect her.

“I guess ’yun ’yung mistake ko before that I used to care about those opinions,” she reflected.

Today, Forteza would rather place greater value on her own judgment and the assessment of people who have actually worked with her. She pointed out that directors and respected personalities she has encountered throughout her career have not raised concerns about her professionalism.

For the actress, criticism from people outside her professional circle no longer carries the same weight it once did.

“If hindi naman po siya makakatulong sa akin, it’s their opinion, yes, pero I have my own life,” Forteza said.

Her response was less about dismissing criticism and more about drawing a boundary between constructive feedback and opinions that do little to help her grow.

After spending much of her life in an industry where almost every career move can invite public judgment, Forteza appears to have learned an important lesson: confidence does not always require an explanation.

And if believing in herself is interpreted by some as arrogance, she seems prepared to live with that—because she knows the work, sacrifices and experiences behind the woman she has become.