After years of silence, actress and singer Issa Pressman is finally breaking her silence in an exclusive interview with seasoned journalist Karen Davila, which premiered Thursday, Nov. 13, on Karen Davila Official on YouTube.
The 26-year-old artist, who is also a painter and entrepreneur, opens her home to Davila alongside her boyfriend, actor and musician James Reid. Speaking with unguarded honesty, Pressman reveals she identifies as a lesbian and details her three-year struggle with anxiety, depression, and self-harm.
She says Reid and her sister, actress Yassi Pressman, were her biggest sources of strength during that period.
“The past is behind us, and I’ve managed to see and be grateful for the growth this challenge brought,” she says. “It’s about healing—for me, I don’t want to lose another beautiful soul. We need this bullying to stop.”
Pressman also looks back on her childhood with Yassi, recalling how the two of them helped their family make ends meet after their father lost his job and their mother went abroad for work. She says that experience taught them resilience and the importance of family.
One of the most emotional moments of the interview shows Pressman in tears as she opens up about her mental health battle, with Reid appearing beside her and holding back tears.
For the first time, Pressman addresses persistent rumors about her relationship with Reid, confirming that she was the second woman he dated after his 2019 breakup with Nadine Lustre. She says the relationship has been a lesson in growth, understanding, and self-worth, and that she chose to remain silent in the face of public criticism in hopes that false stories would fade on their own.
The interview also tackles the impact of online bullying and the importance of kindness, empathy, and open conversations about mental health.
