Actress and entrepreneur Kiray Celis has a lot on her plate—wedding plans, a booming beauty business, and a viral moment she never saw coming.
What was supposed to be a romantic prenup shoot in Japan turned into an unexpected online storm when photos of her posing on top of a vending machine drew backlash from netizens and some OFWs.
backlash online
“When I woke up, I was already viral,” Kiray recalled with a laugh during the launch of Hot Babe Green and Skin Vibe under Kiray’s Brands.
“I asked my fiancé [Stephan Estopia], ‘What happened? Why does it feel like so many people are mad? I was even trying to figure out what they were mad about—was it the kiss, the train, or something else?’”
The comedian, known for her wit, later deleted the photo that sparked the debate, clarifying that the shoot had permission from Japanese authorities. Still, she admitted the incident taught her something deeper.
“You have to be sensitive enough,” she said.
“Even if you have permission or know it’s allowed, you still have to think about how others might feel when they see it. Sometimes, even when you don’t mean any harm, people can still be affected. So to those who were offended, I’m really sorry. Let’s spread love and be kind. No one was hurt, and no one got angry during the shoot itself.”
Despite the brief controversy, Kiray said Japan remains close to her heart. After all, it’s the land where the song for their first wedding dance was produced—“First Love” by Hikaru Utada.
Originally dreaming of a Cappadocia wedding with hot-air balloons, the couple decided to keep things practical and personal, with a ceremony planned in Manila this December.
Their budget, she joked, is “still small.” Still, she’s grateful for the support of their celebrity godparents, including Gabby Concepcion, Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Ai-Ai delas Alas, Eugene Domingo, Vice Ganda, and Sharon Cuneta.
“It’s so expensive to get married,” she said, laughing. “I thought it would be easy. The gown, the makeup, the reception, and the travel expenses—everything costs something! That’s why I said, let’s just do it here, something practical first. What’s important is we’ll have beautiful memories.”
Beyond the glitz, Kiray stays grounded in work. Her brands continue to grow on TikTok, and she takes pride in providing jobs to her staff and affiliates. “I don’t see it as success yet,” she said.
“Everything I earn, I put back into developing new products. My goal right now is to create more jobs for others. Just keep planting until it’s time to harvest something good.”
As she counts down to her wedding day, Kiray said she’s focusing on gratitude, not gossip.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect all of this,” she said. “But no matter how noisy things can get online, what matters is that we’re happy—and we’ve learned from it.”
