Charice Pempengco has a major announcement to make. And it is this: The singer/actress is no longer known as Charice Pempengco. The Filipino star, who rose to fame in American for her role on Glee, says she nows goes by the name Jake Zyrus. This change is consistent with what the artist told Oprah Winfrey in an interview three years ago, during which she told the talk show host that her “soul is male.” “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the love and respect,” Zyrus wrote on Instagram on Monday. “I love you back and I’m sending peace to everyone.” The transgender entertainer deleted all previous social media posts, marking this name change as a fresh start in his life. He added on Twitter, shortly after making the above statement: “My first tweet as Jake. Overwhelmed. Saw all your love comments and I’m so happy. Finally. I love you, everyone and see you soon.” Dubbed by Oprah as “the most talented girl in the world,” Zyrus became the first Asian solo singer in history to land in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart with the release of 2010’s “Charice,” It debuted at the time at number-eight. The rising star also made an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and other daytime programs. On those platforms, she covered such hits as “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” “I Will Always Love You,” “I Have Nothing,” and “My Heart Will Go On.” She is now 25 years old. But at the age of 16, Zyrus appeared at Madison Square Garden to perform a duet of “Because You Loved Me” with idol Céline Dion. Pretty darn impressive, no? On Glee Season 2, Zyrus came on board as Sunshine Corazon, a talented singer and foreign exchange student who teamed up with New Directions and immediately established a rivalry with Lea Michele’s Rachel Berry. The character eventually joined the glee club Vocal Adrenaline and appeared in three episodes of the show. Along the way, the actor sang the songs “Telephone,” “Listen,’ and “All By Myself.” Zyrus came out as a lesbian in 2013. He then talked to Oprah once again, this time for a segment on Winfrey’s “Where Are They Now,” discussing rumors of a gender transition head-on. “I’m not going to go through that stage where I change everything,” Zyrus said at that time. “I’ll cut my hair and wear boy clothes and everything, but that’s all.” He added: “I knew when I was 5. Then, when I was 10, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s it, I’m gay.’” Thankfully, social media users have been nothing but supportive in light of this announcement. We’d like to also send along our best wishes and congratulations fo Jake. Everyone should live a life true to who they are. Do whatever makes you happy, people. YOLO, after all. View Slideshow: 14 Noteworthy Transgender Pioneers
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Charice Pempengco Changes Name, Comes Out as Transgender
