Klea Pineda seems to be on the rise to becoming one of GMA’s future leads with roles in “AraBella” and “Bolera” catching our eye. It’s fitting then that the actress is introducing a more open and fearless Klea on her 24th birthday, a Klea who’s out and proud with her girlfriend Katrice Kierulf by her side.
“My 24th birthday is extra special since I finally mustered up the courage to come out to the world as my true authentic self. Masasabi ko na ito na ang pinakamatapang na desisyon na nagawa ko sa buong buhay ko. I want the world to know that I am a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community,” Pineda wrote in a Mar. 20 post.
“By doing this, I hope to inspire and empower others who are still struggling to come into terms with their sexuality. Alam ko mahirap at nakakatakot, but please know na walang mali sa atin at walang kulang sa atin kahit pa magpakatotoo tayo,” Pineda tells fellow members of the queer community.
“My sexuality is just one aspect of my life and it won’t stop me from chasing after my dreams,” she adds. “The only difference now is I can proudly say that I’m gay! From now on, I want to live my life fearlessly.”
Pineda also went on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” to talk about her decision to come out publicly and how self-love was the reason behind it. She even admitted to going on dates with fellow Kapuso stars Jak Roberto, Jeric Gonzales, and Andre Paras. But Pineda says, “’Yung happiness Tito Boy, sobrang kulang. Hindi naman sa sinasabi ko na hindi ako sumaya sa mga guys na ’to, pero may kulang. Hindi mo ma-pinpoint kung alin, pero may kulang. Pero whenever na nakikipag-date ako sa girls or nagkakaroon ako ng girlfriend, iba ’yung saya ko. Iba ’yung nararamdaman ko.”
She recounted to Boy Abunda how she didn’t come out to her parents but got caught in a conversation with her then-highschool girlfriend on her phone. Acceptance was a process for her parents but Pineda says that before taping for the interview, her mom told her how proud they were and happy for her.
By the end of the interview, Abunda invited her girlfriend on stage and in front of the camera. Kierulf expressed how proud she is of Pineda, a sentiment also present in a sweet message for the birthday girl in a post: “I believe the stars aligned for us for a reason. I am beyond lucky to have met you in this lifetime, Klea. You are the most loving, patient, & generous soul I’ve ever met. I’m so proud to call you my girlfriend.”
Kierulf shared couple photos from their yacht celebration for Pineda’s birthday where they wore matching white and posed with a bouquet of red roses on the actress’s hand. While there were netizens with offensive comments likes ones calling Pineda “sayang,” many congratulated the happy pair.
Kierulf is a vlogger and a biker, who you may have seen on “’Family Feud Philippines” as a member of winning team Lady Rush. We’ve also seen her on Pineda’s Instagram feed. The active lovebirds share a mutual love for the outdoors and they both look fierce on their bikes.
In an episode of “Updated With Nelson Canlas,” Pineda divulged that she met Kierulf via Tiktok. The biker showed up on her feed and Pineda found out that they had a mutual friend. “Ako naman magfi-first move and [back] then wala naman akong idea kung she’s into girls ba. Wala akong kaide-idea. I’m just shooting my shot, kumbaga,” she said.
Eagle-eyed fans have been speculating on their relationship for a while now and have even been using the nickname “tumatapang” Pineda for her since 2022. Now that it’s official, fans have switched to using Klea “matapang na” Pineda. Is the couple name on the agenda?
Photo from Katrice Kierulf’s Instagram
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