Janella Salvador Says Queer Love Stories Shouldn't Be So Hard To Fight For Onscreen

Queer love stories deserve the same spotlight as any other romance on screen. That's the message Janella Salvador hopes the industry continues to hear loud and clear.

The actress recently spoke about the growing visibility of sapphic storylines following the positive reception to the girls' love arc in the series What Lies Beneath, where she stars alongside Kaila Estrada, Sue Ramirez, and Charlie Dizon.

The drama follows four friends navigating the trauma of witnessing a murder in their teenage years, but it was the emotional arc between Louisa (played by Mutya Orquia) and Liezel (played by Kolette Madelo and Mary Joy Apostol) that drew praise for its portrayal of young queer love.

Janella pointed out that the strong response to the storyline proves that audiences are ready for more queer representation in mainstream Filipino entertainment.

“It's important that more of these stories are more visible to everyone," she shared with ABS-CBN News during the finale media conference of the series. "Filipinos love watching love stories, there are so many untold queer stories that deserve to have the same platform."

Janella has seen firsthand how strong the demand for queer representation can be. Fans famously rallied behind the "Darlentina" pairing during the run of Mars Ravelo's Darna, where viewers shipped her character with that of Jane de Leon.

She also starred in the indie film Open Endings alongside Klea Pineda, Leanne Mamonong, and Jasmine Curtis-Smith, which featured women-centered narratives and went on to top the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival box office.

"Bakit sobrang hirap niyang ipaglaban? It shouldn't be that way," she stressed. She hopes the growing support will encourage networks and producers to take more chances on projects centered on women loving women. 

In fact, she believes the industry has already taken a step in the right direction. "I think it's a good start now," she added. "Marami nang lumalabas, and hopefully magtuloy-tuloy."

Janella also kept things light during the conversation, even joking that the queer role in What Lies Beneath should have gone to her.

Off-screen, the actress seems perfectly content with where she is in life right now. When asked by Philippine Star what her birthday wish is, she shared while laughing, "Just let me live. I'm enjoying my life." 

This came due to the ongoing speculation about her relationship with Klea. The two were recently spotted holding hands at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, celebrated Klea's mom's birthday in Pampanga, and were even seen buying a lot together.

Janella quickly clarified that the sentiment comes from a place of gratitude. "Happy ako ngayon. I'm just living my best life right now. That's all I really want for my birthday," she added.

The pair has yet to directly confirm the true status of their relationship.