Ashley Ortega Heard The 'Pangit' Comments About Her Hair—And Says That's Exactly The Point

When it comes to fully committing to a role, Ashley Ortega is clearly not here to play it safe, even if it means facing a wave of online criticism.

During an episode of Fast Talk with Boy Abunda last March 24, the actress opened up about her bold new look for Apoy sa Dugo, including her now-talked-about micro bangs. Spoiler: she's seen the comments—and she's completely unbothered by them.

In fact, the transformation was never meant to be universally liked in the first place. Ashley shared that changing her appearance was key to setting her character apart from the usual kontrabida archetype.

But while the drastic change caught viewers' attention, it also sparked mixed reactions online. "Ang dami ngang nagsasabi na ang pangit daw pala ng look ko," she admitted.

Instead of being discouraged, Ashley sees them as proof that she's doing something right. "But that's the point," she said. "That's the goal." She explained that her role calls for someone who appears unconventional and emotionally unstable, and she leaned into that by moving away from what's traditionally considered "pretty."

It's a major shift from how fans usually see her. As Ashley described it, her personal style is more "clean girl, soft girl, aesthetic girl"—a look that's polished and easy on the eyes. But for this project, she wanted to break away from that image to give her character more depth.

"Gusto ko kasi talaga matanggal 'yon," she explained. "Matanggal talaga yung image na 'yon sa akin when I do this show."

Breaking out of a well-loved image isn't exactly the easiest move, especially in an industry that thrives on familiarity. Still, Ashley went all in, proving she's not afraid to trade conventionally "safe" looks for something that actually serves the character.

Even Tito Boy had to give her props, saying, "Yan ang artista!"

It goes to show that the Internet may have a lot to say, but that just means people are paying attention.