Vice Ganda Opens Up About How His 2013 Joke on Jessica Soho Continues to Define Him

Vice Ganda and Jessica Soho. Images: Screengrab from YouTube/Vice Ganda, Facebook/Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho

Vice Ganda said his 2013 rape joke on GMA news anchor and multi-awarded broadcast journalist Jessica Soho still hounds him, with his critics still using it to “define” him.

In a vlog uploaded on Vice Ganda’s YouTube channel on May 6, the actor-comedian was discussing with his ward Awra Briguela how people would always use “one definition” in voicing their dislike against someone.

Vice Ganda was telling Briguela, who uses the pronounce she/her, that his rape joke, which he uttered during his 2013 concert, “I-Vice Ganda Mo Ako sa Araneta,” was still being used by his critics to vilify him. He said, however, that he has learned to move past this, even though his bashers have not, and they would always use this as a tool to “justify their dislike” of him.

“Paulit-ulit ang definition ng mga taong ayaw sa akin which is enough for them to not like me. Isa lang ang definition ko [for them]: I made a rape joke about Jessica Soho,” he said. “‘Yun lang ang depinisyon ko sa mga taong ayaw sa akin, at habang buhay na nilang bibitbitin iyon para maging rason para magalit sila sa akin habambuhay.”

(My bashers would only resort to this one definition which is enough for them not to like me. To them, my only definition was that I made a rape joke about Jessica Soho, that’s all. The people who do not like me will forever carry that with them to justify their hatred of me.)

A decade after, and despite the many good things that he had done to make up for his remarks, the “Praybeyt Benjamin” star said the issue would always be brought up by his bashers. “Other than that, wala na silang nakikita sa’kin. Hindi na nila nakikita ‘yung bagay na gagawin kong tama.”

Vice Ganda’s reference of his rape joke was in hopes of helping Briguela overcome her own controversy – that of the Makati brawl incident that resulted in him getting arrested in June 2023.

At the same time, the “It’s Showtime” host advised Briguela to face the consequences of her actions to be able to move on with her life and be able to heal from her own pain due to the incident.

“Kailangan mo siyang harapin kasi kung bina-band aid mo siya, hindi siya [maghe-heal]. Kailangan mo siyang gamutin. Kailangan mong gamutin ang sugat,” said Vice Ganda. “Hindi lahat ng tao, papaboran at magugustuhan ka. Kaya kailangan mong mag-adjust.”

(You need to face your problems because if you opt for a band-aid solution, it won’t heal. You have to treat it. You have to treat your wound. Not everyone would be in favor or like you. So you have to adjust.)

“Kung ano mang gawin ko, they will not like me, they will hate me, and they only need one bad definition of me,” he continued. “And that is, Vice Ganda siya ‘yung nag-rape joke kay Jessica Soho at babalikan nila ‘yun para hindi sila mawala sa paniniwala na ayaw nila ako.”

(Other than that, they won’t see anything positive about me. They won’t see the things I had done right. No matter what I would do, they will not like me, they will hate me, and they only need one bad definition of me. And that is Vice Ganda who made a rape joke about Jessica Soho. They will keep on returning to that to justify that they indeed don’t like me.)

During his 2013 concert, Vice Ganda tagged Soho as a logical target for gang rape, if she ever became a “bold star.” Aside from his rape joke, Vice Ganda had also made fun of the Soho’s weight. He eventually apologized for his insensitive remarks, at the same time claiming his joke was not meant to make a mockery of rape victims.

Soho, then GMA’s vice president for news programs, “acknowledged” Vice Ganda’s apology