‘Glee’ Star Charice Pempengco Becomes Jake Zyrus As Singer Announces Male Identity On Twitter


One of the most powerful voices on Glee, and quite possibly the world, belonged to none other than Charice Pempengco. Fans of the show, and music fans in general, now know Charice as Jake Zyrus, as the star officially changed his name on Twitter on Sunday to reflect his new male identity.

Jake appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in 2008 when he performed “My Heart Will Go On.” The singer was stunned when Celine Dion surprised him via Skype and invited him to perform onstage with her at Madison Square Garden just a few weeks later. That specific episode catapulted the singer to stardom as Oprah dubbed him “the most talented girl in the world.”

In 2010, Jake starred on the second season of Glee as a rival of Rachel Berry (Lea Michele). The two performed Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” together, and Jake also knocked performances of “All By Myself” and “Listen” out of the park.

In 2012, Jake (still identifying as Charice) began receiving backlash as his appearance became edgier and more masculine. He cut off his long hair and began dressing in suits, causing many to question his gender identity.

The Huffington Post reported the Filipino singer came out in 2013 during an interview with Boy Abunda, where he also revealed he had relationships with several females in the music industry. Just a year later, Jake appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Where Are They Now?, where he proclaimed “my soul is male.”

[Image by Brian Kersey/Getty Images]

Jake finally revealed his new identity to the world on Sunday and did something that surprised followers. People reports Jake deleted all traces of Charice from social media and started anew.

While most fans are supportive of Jake’s new identity, others have questions about where the singer will go from here. During his Where Are They Now? interview Oprah, Jake alluded that he wasn’t going to consider gender reassignment surgery.

“I’m not going to go through that stage where I change everything. I’ll cut my hair and wear boy clothes and everything, but that’s all.”

Unfortunately, the singer is also being met with hate from transphobic trolls on social media but is not letting the haters get him down.

Filipino news site ABS-CBN reported Jake has just recently split with his girlfriend Alyssa Quijano a month before his name-change announcement, while also celebrating four years out of the closet. The combination of events may have prompted the brave announcement.

[Image by Mike Coppola/Getty Images]

Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.

[Featured Image by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images]

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