Awra Briguela has apologized to a netizen after misunderstanding a comment on her latest YouTube vlog, which later sparked discussion on social media.
The actress recently uploaded a vlog documenting her continued recovery after undergoing rhinoplasty, as well as her recent trip to Taiwan. In the video, she and her friends explored different tourist destinations, went shopping, and tried various local dishes.
Among the comments on the vlog, one netizen wrote, "Sayang hindi tayo nagkita. Next time if you need interpreter just message me."
However, Awra misunderstood the remark as a criticism of her English proficiency and replied, "feeling. hindi ka nga nakapag highschool."
The commenter later clarified that she could speak Vietnamese and was simply offering to assist her in communicating with foreign-language speakers, writing, "I can speak Vietnamese. That's what I meant."
Although the exchange has since been deleted, screenshots of the conversation quickly circulated on Reddit and Threads, with several netizens calling out Awra over her response. One Threads user also reposted the exchange, saying that the commenter was apparently her mother who meant no harm and that Awra's remarks were too much.
Following the backlash, Awra took to the comments section of her vlog to acknowledge her mistake and apologize.
"Hi guys. If you’re trying to find my rude reply to someone who was simply trying to help by offering to be my interpreter, I already deleted my comment because I genuinely feel terrible about it. Mali ko po iyon," she wrote.
Awra admitted that the volume of criticism she receives online has made her instinctively defensive, causing her to misread a comment that was genuinely meant to help.
"Sa sobrang dami pong bash na natatanggap ko araw-araw, naging automatic na po ang initial reaction ko na lumaban o sumagot pabalik. Minsan, hindi ko na namamalayan na hindi na pala pangba-bash ang isang comment at sincere lang pala ang taong gusto akong tulungan."
She further explained that, because many people often ridicule her English-speaking abilities and grammar, she mistakenly assumed the comment was another insult directed at her.
"As you can see naman po sa comment section, marami pong nangba-bash sa English at grammar ko at may mga nagsasabing mukhang hindi raw ako nag-aaral. Dahil doon, mali ang naging interpretation ko sa comment niya. Akala ko po pinapahiya niya ako at sinasabing kailangan ko ng interpreter dahil sa English ko. Sobrang hiya ko po nang marealize kong mali ang pagkakaintindi ko at sincere lang pala ang intensyon niya,” she said.
Taking full responsibility for the misunderstanding, Awra shared that she had already reached out to personally apologize to both the commenter and the commenter's daughter.
"But again, I take full accountability for my actions. It was an honest mistake, but I know that doesn’t erase the hurt I caused. I have already reached out to sincerely apologize to her and to her daughter."
"I promise to do better moving forward. I will be more mindful, think before I speak or reply, and make sure I understand someone’s intentions first before reacting. Again, I’m truly sorry," she ended.
The daughter of the commenter later responded to Awra's apology, saying her mother had already read it and accepted it. She also expressed hope that everyone could move forward from the incident.
"Hello! My mom already read your apology, and she accepted it. I hope everyone can move on from this too. I hope this serves as a lesson. Btw my mom is still rooting for you," the netizen wrote.
Awra thanked them for accepting her apology and once again expressed her gratitude for their understanding.
"Thank you! 🙏🏽 Please tell your mom I’m truly sorry once again, and thank you both for giving me grace and understanding. I really appreciate it, and I’ll do better moving forward. ❤️🩹," Awra replied.
Following the exchange, many netizens thanked Awra for taking accountability and asked her to be more mindful next time. The actress also shared that she plans to take some time away from social media to reflect on the incident.