Thirteen-year-old Michelle Garcia has found herself at the center of an online controversy involving her father, actor Patrick Garcia, and his former partner, actress Jennylyn Mercado, after Patrick publicly revisited their highly publicized breakup nearly two decades later.
Michelle, the daughter of Patrick and his wife Nikka Martinez, has recently been pursuing her dream of becoming a K-pop idol. She is currently training through the K-Pop Professional Training Programme at SM Universe Singapore, where she travels from the Philippines to Singapore for weekly classes in singing and dancing.
The young trainee’s growing profile, however, has been accompanied by negative comments from some netizens bringing up her father’s past relationship with Jennylyn.
Patrick Garcia Breaks 18-Year Silence
Patrick addressed the controversy in an interview with Ogie Diaz published on YouTube on September 29, 2026. He explained that he decided to speak publicly after Michelle became upset over the comments she was receiving whenever news about her own career appeared online.
According to Patrick, Michelle had asked him to explain what really happened between him and Jennylyn so people would know his side of the story.
He said he warned his daughter that speaking publicly might not stop the criticism and could potentially make it worse. Michelle, he recalled, told him that she was willing to face that possibility as long as people knew what she believed was the truth.
Patrick then rejected the long-standing characterization that he had simply abandoned Jennylyn while she was pregnant with their son, Alex Jazz.
He acknowledged that he was not present during Jennylyn’s pregnancy, but argued that his absence was not because he did not want to be involved. He claimed that Jennylyn did not want him there at the time.
Patrick and Jennylyn began dating in 2007 and announced in January 2008 that they were expecting a child. Patrick said they had intended to marry and even appeared before a judge at the Makati Regional Trial Court, but the wedding plans did not move forward. Their son, Alex Jazz, was born in August 2008.
Patrick also discussed the controversy surrounding questions about Jazz’s paternity, saying remarks he made at the time had been interpreted differently from what he intended.
Patrick Says He Has Not Seen His Son Since 2017
During the interview, Patrick also spoke about his relationship with Alex Jazz.
According to reports from PEP.ph, Patrick said the last time he saw his son was in December 2017. He claimed that he had continued sending messages through Viber from 2018 onward but had not received responses beyond messages being seen.
Patrick said the situation had continued to weigh on him, while explaining that he had kept his version of events private for approximately 18 years because he believed everyone involved had moved on.
He also insisted that his family had not been opposed to Jennylyn during their relationship, rejecting suggestions that his relatives had prevented the couple from being together.
Jennylyn Mercado Chooses Not To Respond
Jennylyn has not publicly offered her own detailed account of the renewed controversy.
Instead, her management agency, Aguila Entertainment, said she had chosen not to share her side out of respect for the privacy and peace of mind of both families. At the same time, Jennylyn asked the public to stop attacking Patrick’s family, particularly Michelle.
The statement emphasized that Jennylyn and Jazz are living a happy life with her husband Dennis Trillo, their daughter Dylan and Trillo’s son Calix.
Jennylyn’s longtime manager Becky Aguila, however, separately criticized Patrick’s decision to revisit the issue publicly. Aguila said she believed there were significant details missing from his account and argued that Jennylyn had previously chosen not to discuss certain matters out of respect for Patrick and his family.
Dennis Trillo also appeared to respond to the situation with a social media post urging people to spread love rather than hate, although he did not directly name Patrick.
Star Magic Defends 13-Year-Old Michelle
As the dispute continued online, Michelle became a target of criticism despite having been born years after the events being discussed.
Star Magic, which represents Michelle, subsequently issued a statement expressing concern over the comments directed at the teenager.
The agency stressed that Michelle is only 13 and asked the public not to involve her in matters between adults that occurred before she was born. Star Magic also said it was prepared to take appropriate action against continued harassment, citing laws protecting children from abuse and libel.
The controversy has therefore shifted beyond Patrick and Jennylyn’s long-ended relationship, with growing attention on the treatment of Michelle as she begins pursuing her own career.
Michelle’s K-Pop Ambitions
Before the latest controversy, Michelle had been attracting attention for her efforts to enter the K-pop training system.
SM Universe Singapore introduced her as one of the students in its K-Pop Professional Training Programme. In an introduction video, Michelle explained that she travels by plane from the Philippines to Singapore every Friday to attend training.
The programme is part of SM Entertainment’s Singapore-based training academy, which offers instruction in areas including vocals, dance, performance and production. The professional programme is selective and includes an immersive training experience at SM Universe Seoul for selected students.
Michelle has also had an early connection to the K-pop world. In 2024, she was among IU’s backup dancers during the singer’s concert at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
For now, her developing career has become intertwined with a controversy that began long before she was born. While Patrick has chosen to publicly revisit his version of his relationship with Jennylyn, Jennylyn has asked the public to leave Michelle and Patrick’s family out of the backlash, while Star Magic has warned against further harassment of the young trainee.
Source: Compiled from various sources.
