Kathryn Bernardo has practically grown up in the limelight, with her acting journey kicking off way back in 2003 when she was merely seven years old. Like several former child stars who grew up in the public eye, it’s no secret that there’s this unspoken pressure to keep up a squeaky-clean image for their younger fanbase.

As for Kathryn, however, she’s all about living life on her own terms, with no extra weight of keeping that “good girl” tag intact.

Following the viral video where she was seen vaping and gracefully addressing how it wouldn’t make her “less of a person,” Kathryn had the best things to say about breaking free from having a “perfect” image during the media conference of her upcoming film, A Very Good Girl.

“Growing up, hanggang ngayon, aware ako na maraming nakatingin [sa ‘kin]. You have to be good, you have to do this and that, kasi yung mga bata gagayahin kung ano yung makita sayo,” she says.

“But then, every time they ask me this, I always say na hindi porket artista, perfect. Hindi porket role model, wala kaming imperfections, wala kaming mistakes or we can’t learn from our mistakes.”

PHOTO BY INSTAGRAM/KIMIYAP

While it’s natural to idolize celebrities, the actress emphasizes that they shouldn’t be put on a pedestal. After all, they’re as human as anyone else, grappling with their own shortcomings and imperfections.

“Yes, pwedeng may i-idolize ka. Parang ako, may iniidolo ako and all, but then, bakit ko siya iniidolo? Maybe I see myself in her, maybe because nakikita ko na tao din siya, nasaktan siya, nagkakamali siya, and that’s okay,” she shares.

“I always tell the fans na wag niyo akong [i-idolize] dahil perfect ako, kasi hindi talaga, promise.”