As promised, OPM singer Denise Julia broke her silence on Christmas Day regarding the controversy involving her and celebrity photographer BJ Pascual, who recently described her as the “worst” personality he has worked with during a podcast.
In the podcast, BJ revealed that Julia’s team canceled a shoot tied to her music release just a day before it was scheduled. Following this, the celebrity photographer said he canceled the shoot himself and covered the incurred cancellation fees.
Taking to her Instagram stories, Denise Julia shared her side of the story, emphasizing budget constraints and communication delays as the cause of the cancellation.
The “B.A.D.” singer confirmed that her team had approached BJ in May for a collaborative project. She also noted that BJ’s team was “slow to respond at times,” which delayed planning and created logistical challenges.
“Despite us following up many times and not getting replies for weeks at a time… we were patient and pushed back our deadlines to accommodate BJ’s schedule because we knew he was booked and busy,” Julia wrote, adding that she even moved her music release date to work with the photographer.
Denise Julia also shared screenshots of conversations between her team and BJ’s manager, revealing that her team initially proposed a budget of P650,000 for the shoot, which later increased to P800,000. However, BJ’s team quoted over P1 million for the project, which Denise Julia’s team could not match.
“BJ’s team did not get back to us about this budget despite my manager checking in and following up… We can’t really have a shoot date without being sure if the budget is even feasible,” she added.
Contrary to what BJ had said, Denise Julia denied that her team canceled the shoot. She said her manager suggested rescheduling to avoid cancellation fees, but BJ’s team decided to terminate the project, citing differences in production processes.
She admitted fault in not reaching out to BJ directly after the incident.
“It was because I didn’t know the extent of his frustrations until everything aired out on social media and it blew out of proportion. It is something that I will take with me as I move forward with work,” she continued.
Denise Julia revealed that she and BJ are set to meet in person to resolve the matter. The singer also expressed admiration for BJ’s work, saying she remains a fan despite their professional differences.
