BB Gandanghari files plea to change name, gender

Filipino transgender BB Gandanghari has filed a petition before the California court that would allow him to change his name and gender.

“Change is coming… Big time!!!” said Gandanghari in a caption posted on Instagram. The former actor also showed on IG documents he was preparing for the petition.

The brother of action star Robin Padilla will change his name to Binibini Gandanghari and gender to female.

Gandanghari, 48, has been based in the US for several years now. He even studied filmmaking at the UCLA in 2010.

In 1994, Gandanghari, then known as Rustom Padilla, married actress Carmina Villaroel. Few months later Gandanghari filed for annulment. It was granted in 2002. Both parties refused to reveal the reason of their separation.
Villaroel, now married to Zoren Legaspi and with kids, said in an interview on ABS-CBN in 2015 that she had no inkling her former husband was gay.

In 2004, Gandanghari came out of the closet by telling actress Keanna Reeves that he was gay when they both became celebrity housemates for the “Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition.” Later, Gandanghari voluntarily left the house.

In 2009, Gandanghari came out as transgender woman. But he refused to reveal up to these days if he underwent sex-change operation. Despite the changes, Gandanghari is still on good terms with his family.

Asked what happened to Rustom, Gandanghari then said: “Patay na si Rustom Padilla.”

Villaroel, then hosting a morning show with Gelli de Belen called “Sis” on GMA 7 in January 2009, reacted and said:

‘Siya [BB] na mismo ang nagsabi na patay na ’yung Rustom and ’yung bagong siya, si BB… Hi BB! I’m CV!’

‘‘Yon, so sana, sa kanya naman mismo nanggaling, so let’s just respect him. Since patay nasi Rustom, e, di ibaon na natin siya nang bonggang-bongga!’ said Villaroel in report published by PEP.

Recently, Gandanghari shocked fans and trended on social media when he shared a photo on IG in which he posed naked on the beach. It was captioned: “I AM…my God’s creation.”