Alden Richards reveals the struggle few ever knew

GMA Network

23-05-2025

U
nbeknownst to many, while Alden Richards continued to shine on-screen, host prime-time shows, and flash his signature bedimpled smile, he was quietly enduring a darkness that no camera nor fan ever caught.
In a rare and raw moment during his interview with GMA Integrated News — meant to promote Stars On The Floor, the biggest celebrity dance competition on television — the conversation took an unexpected turn.
What began as light and cheerful soon opened a door into the heart of a man who had long kept his battles hidden.
'I think last year, that was my lowest year,' Alden confessed, the weight of his words settling heavily in the room.
The reason? He suspects it has something to do with his own nature of being 'over-generous' to others and far too little to himself.
'Just to validate everything that's happening in my life right now — that was the reason. Kung meron pang mas mababa sa rock bottom, I was there,' he said.
'Yung times kasi na you're clouded with a lot of negative thoughts, andyan yung mga taong nagmamahal sa 'yo pero hindi mo ma-proseso nang tama 'yung pag-iisip mo. It's very hard to be present… yung nandito ka pero wala ka dito.'
He was at height of his success, but inside, he was slowly breaking.
T
hen came the loss of his grandfather in January. It was the final blow, and Alden found himself slipping further into something he now dares to name.
'It took me six months to get over that. Hindi man siya clinically diagnosed, pero that was depression, at its finest. That was depression. Ang galing nga, hindi lang halata,' he said.
Alden said he couldn't bear to talk about it. 'Before kasi, hindi ko siya kayang pag-usapan. Hirap ako, ayokong magpakita ng weakness.'
In all my years of sitting down with Alden — interview after interview, countless backstage chit-chats, project after project — this moment stood out.
It was the first time I didn't just hear him. I felt him. There was no celebrity veneer. No filter. Just a man learning, unlearning, and finally choosing to show up for himself.
H
is sudden turn to fitness soon made it to his socials. In March, we learned about his running, the following month, about Alden's biking. Alden's every move now stems from one deeply personal mission: Self-love.
Alden is no longer driven by image or approval. He now runs to breathe, bikes to clear his mind, and embraces stillness to reconnect with his own heart.
And when the inevitable question came — about his love life, or the absence of it — he answers not with hesitation, but with conviction.
'I don't understand. Hindi ko gets kung bakit ganoon ang mindset natin na ang basis ng kasiyahan ng isang tao,' he said, challenging the idea that romantic love is the only path to happiness.
'It's my story. It's how I want my story to be told… not based on the presumption of some people. I'm so done with that. I've been there long enough. I've done so much for the industry, and I'd like to do more for the industry right now.'
This is not just a return to form. It's a return to self.
Hosting "Stars On The Floor" marks a new chapter—not just in Alden's career, but in his healing. And in this moment, more than ever, the nation's beloved leading man reminds us that real strength is not in the spotlight… but in the courage to face the darkness, and step forward anyway. — LA, GMA Integrated News