Jennylyn Mercado Is Our May 2024 Cosmopolitan Cover Girl

The year is 2003. F4 and Barbie Hsu were the biggest celebrities in the Philippines and embarked on the concert of the year. Kris Aquino did her explosive interview with Korina Sanchez. Trucker hats and low-rise jeans were the hottest fashion trends. And a young, fresh-faced Jennylyn Mercado would win as GMA’s first-ever StarStruck Ultimate Female Survivor at 16 years old.

Much has changed 21 years later, especially for Jen—from being TV’s ingenue with a string of heartbreaking ballad hits to her love team with fellow Ultimate Survivor, Mark Herras, she would reinvent herself as a versatile star with a timeless appeal among the masses.

Jennylyn would prove her worth in a string of dramatic roles and swooning romances, to movies where she would showcase her chops and undeniable charisma. Who could forget her meme-worthy, “Oo na, oo na, ako na ang mag-isa!” scene in the hilarious and poignant film English Only Please, where she starred alongside Derek Ramsay?

Today, Jen doesn’t need to prove anything, having long established her mettle and lasting power in the industry. Yet after a three-year hiatus, enjoying married life and motherhood with Dennis Trillo and her children Jazz, Dylan, and Calyx (Dennis’ child with Carlene Aguilar), Jennylyn has staged a massive comeback—a renaissance era, if you will, as she takes on new challenges and projects.

Returning to the Limelight

After retreating from the spotlight in 2021—a monumental year where she married long-time beau Dennis and gave birth to their daughter, Dylan—Jennylyn has returned to the screen. She spent time off-grid to enjoy family life in relative privacy.

Jen starred in the series Love. Die. Repeat. alongside Xian Lim, in a captivating role where she plays a wife who relives her husband’s death over and over. It was a memorable stint that was worth the three-year delay.

Love. Die. Repeat. was supposed to be released in 2021, and Jennylyn was already locked in the filming bubble for the show when she found out she was pregnant. There’s a bit of lore to this memory, too: Jennylyn suspected she was pregnant after her period came a few days late. With no access to a pregnancy test, she consulted tarot cards, as if looking for a sign from the universe—and it came in three cards that seemed to confirm the result.

As someone who has worked consistently hard in the past two decades, no one could blame Jennylyn for wanting to make the most of her life’s moments and milestones, live with her family in peace, and enjoy the wonders of motherhood.

“Ngayon ko lang ulit na-experience yung nakapag-break ng medyo matagal. Masarap palang magpahinga,” she shares, adding that she relished being there for Dylan’s infancy stage all the way to her toddlerhood. “Masarap din yung feeling na natututukan ko yung daughter ko na simula nung newborn siya, infant siya, ngayon toddler na siya na hindi ko na-experience nung first time [with Jazz],” she admits, adding that she had to return immediately to work after giving birth in 2008 as a single mom.

While Jennylyn raised Jazz (her son with ex-boyfriend Patrick Garcia) in a happy and healthy environment, she is thankful to have had the opportunity to enjoy her daughter’s growing-up milestones in peace this time.

“Ngayon happy ako na talagang natutukan ko yung paglaki ng daughter ko. So, excited pa rin ako kung ano pa ‘yung mga ilu-look forward ko habang lumalaki siya. Hindi ko na-experience sa firstborn ko yun. So ngayon bumabawi talaga ako,” she tells Cosmopolitan Philippines.

“As much as possible, gusto ko, gusto naming dalawa ni Dennis, na makapagbigay talaga ng mas maraming time para sa kanila,” she adds.

Now, she faces a different kind of pressure. Three years after her break, she is raring to get back to work, but admits that she’s still trying to find her footing. “Medyo may, alam mo ‘yung nangangapa, medyo may kaba,” she reveals. “But happy naman ako na natapos namin yung show na successful tsaka masaya dahil very supportive naman and collaborative yung mga kasama ko sa set.”

Love. Die. Repeat. is only the first in a string of comeback projects slated for Jennylyn this year. Another exciting foray for Jen is her much-awaited return to music, now as a recording artist for ABS-CBN’s Star Music. The star’s most ardent fans know that she is a singer foremost before an actress, with her last single released for Christmas in 2017.

“Excited ako dahil first time ko sa Star Music. And excited ako na katrabaho ko si Jonathan Manalo,” she gushes, referring to the multi-awarded music producer and hitmaker.

Returning to the music scene after seven years also means tearing out a different page from the playbook. While Jen is tight-lipped on her upcoming songs, fans can definitely expect fresher tunes as she experiments with different genres other than the sugary love songs and power ballads her discography is filled with.

“So ‘wag ka! I-ta-try namin pumasok sa iba't ibang klase ng music ngayon,” she excitedly teases as she returns to her first love.

The Pleasures of Family Life

Of the many phases in her life, it is clear that Jen is living her best one now, with her contentment truly palpable. Jennylyn describes her 2024 self as “stronger and happier, kasi buo na, nakabuo na ako ng family. Finally, buo na kami. May mommy, may daddy… Unlike noon bilang single mom, medyo mahirap talaga and may struggle,” she shares.

While Jennylyn enjoys the pleasures of family life as a wife and mother, there is no denying that she remains one of the biggest stars in the country—proving that a woman can have it all in this era.

Jennylyn shares that she finds it easier to balance different aspects of her life now—from being a wife and mother to a star—especially now that she’s no longer a single mother.

Yet the actress and singer is quick to remind that it remains a balancing act, and is far from an easy task. “‘Yung marami kasi na kapag ka nagka-anak na, nakakalimutan na yung sarili, nakakalimutan na yung asawa, naka-focus na lang sa anak nila, sa isang bagay,” she shares.

Jennylyn muses that balancing different aspects of one’s life entails active efforts. “Kailangan tinatrabaho pa rin lahat—yung kailangan naglalambingan pa rin kayo [ng husband mo], yung nagde-date pa rin kayo, hindi mo pa rin siya nakakalimutan. At the same time, yung nakatutok ka pa rin sa daughter mo, tapos kaya mo pa rin isingit yung career mo, or kung kaya mo mag full-time habang inaalagaan yung family mo. Hindi naman impossible e. Marami namang talagang nakakagawa nung sabay-sabay, ‘di ba?” She shares.

Jennylyn also acknowledges the importance of having a supportive network to help juggle the demands of her personal and professional network—especially her long-time manager, Becky Aguila, and her family, whom she has come to treat as her own.

“Maswerte ako na nandyan yung manager ko. Si Jan, si Tita Becky, si Kat, naiintindihan yung buhay ko. Sila talaga yung support system ko, bilang wala na akong family e. So, si Tita Becky talaga yung second mom ko. I really appreciate na nandoon sila to support me kahit na ano pang maging decision ko sa buhay ko,” Jen says.

The actress and singer laments that juggling a career with family life can be difficult, and her support group helps give her that push and direction to keep going. “Mahirap talagang pagsabayan ‘yung career… [Pero] gusto nila na siyempre, i-secure pa rin yung future ko. Naiintindihan nila na, ‘Okay, we understand na gusto mo mag-focus [sa family], pero nandito kami to support you, and gusto ko pa rin namin syempre maging visible sa showbiz,” she explains.

Jennylyn radiates with such positivity and light that it can be easy to forget that she has been through so much, with much of her challenges scrutinized under the public eye—but her naturally optimistic disposition, while embracing her trials and tribulations, has kept her resilient.

“Na-practice ko na kung ano yung binibigay mo sa universe na positivity, yun din yung babalik sa'yo. Kasi marami akong experience na puro negative. Sa'yo rin babagsak e, yung parang bumabalik sa'yo. Ang pangit ng balik. So ngayon natutunan ko na ang ganda pala na nag-spread ka ng positivity… parang pagpasok mo palang, kahit na hindi ka palang sasalita, makita nila yung aura mo,” she shares, believing in the reciprocity of good karma.

And what of these difficulties in life, which most times she has no control over? “I'll go through it,” she says, adding, “Talagang dinadaanan ko lahat. Yung kailangan ko siyang i-embrace. Parang kailangan mo daanan yung hirap e, yung sakit, yung mga problema, yung challenges, para after nu’n, mas maging malakas ka,” Jen explains.

A Born Fighter

Jen speaks with the experience of a fighter, whose inner self has been built by the times—an attribute she credits to her adoptive mother, the late Mommy Lydia, who passed away in 2016.

Today, she describes her parenting as “gentle but strict,” owing to the tough love her mother raised her with.

“Ngayon, nahihintindihan ko na kung bakit ganun ka-protective yung mommy ko noon sa akin. Naiintindihan ko na kung bakit ako ganun dinisiplina. Ang hirap ng buhay, so hindi palaging lahat ibibigay, lahat madali. So para sa akin, thankful ako na napalaki ako ng ganoong way, kasi ang harsh ng life e,” she explains.

She hopes that the values her mother taught her, that she now passes on to her children, will teach them to be independent and self-reliant by the time they get older. “Parang yun na yung preparation mo para by the time na dumating sila sa age na medyo teen na sila or gusto na nila ng sarili nilang business o sarili nilang buhay, ‘di ba? Alam nga nila kung paano tumayo sa sarili nilang mga paa at hindi yung babalik sila sa akin nang umiiyak. Parang maganda yung tine-train mo na sila habang bata pa lang,” she shares.

Jen reveals that Mommy Lydia was protective of her, and has been that way ever since she took her under her wing.

Many may remember that before making headlines as Starstruck’s first winner, Jennylyn first landed in the papers as a survivor of physical abuse as a child. Through Mommy Lydia’s love and protection, the actress fully healed, sharing that she no longer thinks of that dark time in her life.

“Sa ngayon, hindi ko na siya talaga… kahit sumagi nang konti sa isip ko. Hindi ko na siya naiisip dahil si Mama Lydia, puno naman ako ng pagmamahal,” she explains. 

“Kahit na tough love, alam ko na secured ako. Alam ko na puno ng pagmamahal yung family namin. So, kahit na lumalaki ako noon, hindi ko talaga naisip na galing ako sa ganung klaseng abusive na family,” she shares.

Today, Jennylyn is proud of what she has achieved, thanks to her late mother’s guidance.

“Naging proud na ako kung nasaan ako ngayon. Hanggang ngayon, nabigyan ko ng comfortable na buhay yung family ko. Naitaguyod ko yung anak ko nang mag-isa ako. Nalalagpasan ko lahat ng challenges ko na mag-isa rin ako. After 20 years, nandito pa rin ako,” she declares.

Such is Jen’s fighting spirit that before she and Dennis were blessed with Dylan, the couple went through the process of in-vitro fertilization—a challenging ordeal that the actress went candid with on her vlog.

“Ang hirap nu’n para sa amin kasi nakakailang try na kami. Kasi ang plano lang naman namin is makapagpa-harvest lang ng eggs kasi nagkakaedad na ako. Ginawa namin yan 34, 35 years old na ako. So medyo mahirap na,” she shares.

Jen narrates that their initial efforts of harvesting her eggs in the Philippines were unsuccessful—likely because of stress. “But I’m a bit of a fighter,” she quips.

They flew to the United States, where they tried again—and managed to produce one perfect embryo. “Dapat marami [silang na-harvest, pero] one lang talaga. So ganoon ako kahirap. Pero naniniwala ako na talagang kung ibibigay sa’yo, ibibigay sa’yo,” she shares.

That unrelenting faith led her to eventually become pregnant the natural way. “Hindi ko na kailangan mag-harvest. Hindi ko na kailangan ng mga medication. Talagang nangyari na lang siya,” she shares.

And what motivated her to share her story about your fertility journey as well as your struggles?

“Alam ko naman ang maraming kababaihan or family na nahihirapan talagang magka-baby. Gusto ko lang iparating sa kanila na huwag silang ma-pressure, huwag silang ma-stress, huwag silang magpa-pressure sa mga tao sa paligid nila. Kasi ang hirap din. Ang karamihan, ‘di ba, parang, ‘Okay lang ba kayong magkaka-baby?’ ‘Bigyan niyo na ako ng apo.’ Mas maganda ng walang pressure,” she shares.

She may be on to something—after all, as Jennylyn has proven, everything—and everyone—has its right time.

PRODUCED BY: Andie Estella, Ira Nopuente

ASSISTED BY: Cass Lazaro, Cheska Santiago

PHOTOGRAPHY: Charisma Lico, assisted by Erwin Arda, Mark De Castro, and JR Baylon

ART DIRECTION: Pau Moyano

SITTINGS EDITOR: Thea Alberto-Masakayan

STYLING: AJ Alberto, assisted by Ian Vinarao

MAKEUP: Anthea Bueno, assisted by Ryan Agos

HAIRSTYLING: Mark Anthony Rosales

WORDS BY: Sam Beltran

VIDEOS: Jino Del Mundo

SOCIAL MEDIA: Aina Lizarondo, assisted by Jessica Musni

MARKETING SPECIALIST: Marie Bilgera

GROWTH LEAD: Dom Domingo

PUBLISHER: Iza Santos