Barbie Imperial has come a long way from her simple life in Daraga, Albay.
With a string of television and film projects plus a happy and thriving relationship, life is fantastic in Barbie's world.
Of course, she has had her share of hiccups, but the good thing about this 23-year-old star is that she easily bounces back.
PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) gives you the interesting highlights of her showbiz carreer.
"along da riles" GIRL
Coming from a broken family, Barbie used to live with her mother, Marilyn "Bing" Imperial, and older half-brother, Bryce, in a house along the railway tracks of Philippine National Railway (PNR) in Daraga, Albay.
In a Maalaala Mo Kaya episode about her life story, it was revealed how her mother solely provided for their small family.
Growing up, Barbie longed for her father, and this caused conflict between her and her mother.
Eventually, the two reconciled when Barbie realized that she needed to accept herself and her family's situation.
Pinoy Big Brother housemate
In 2015, Barbie joined Pinoy Big Brother: 737 at the age of 16. Called the "Doll Along Da Riles ng Albay," she was the very first evictee and spent a total of 14 days inside the Bahay ni Kuya.
Among her PBB batchmates were Jimboy Martin and Miho Nishida (winners), Ylona Garcia and Tommy Esguerra (first runners-up), and Bailey May.
Girl Trends member
Upon her exit from PBB, Barbie scored projects and became part of the girl group Girl Trends, in which most of its members were also graduates of PBB.
However, she left the group after just a few months.
When asked why, this was her answer: “Actually, wala pong reason, e. Pero siyempre I respect that kasi, management [decision] naman. And, hindi lang naman po ako ang natanggal that time.
“And honestly, well, before hindi ko siya ma-gets. Kasi parang ang sad ko. Kasi ang saya sa Showtime, alam mo yun? Family talaga.
“'Tapos lately ko lang siyang na-realize, ‘Ah, kaya pala ako natanggal kasi may ibang plans.’ So, yun. Happy naman ako about it.”
YOUNG LOVE
The mestiza actress easily attracted suitors, among them were Ryle Santiago and Paul Salas.
The former used to be her love-team partner, and her "almost" boyfriend.
In her exclusive intervoew with PEP.ph in 2017, she vaguely revealed why they never reached the "official" status.
"Medyo naging rough...nawala lang kasi may naging problem lang."
Next, she dated Paul Salas, but their romance ended less than year, with Barbie alluding to being a victim of physical abuse, which Paul vehemently denied.
In love, she was unlucky; but all systems go in terms of her career.
LEADING LADY
Barbie's biggest television break came in 2018, when she was tapped to be the leading lady of JM de Guzman in ABS-CBN's drama television series Precious Hearts Romances Presents: Araw Gabi.
Later on, the two were rumored to be dating, with JM even declaring "I love you with all my heart" to Barbie.
However, Barbie revealed that the relationship did not work out.
"Trinay po namin talaga. Pero hindi po talaga mag-work, e, kahit anong gawin."
She BECAME A Calendar Girl 2020
In 2020, Barbie was tapped to be the calendar girl of the liquor brand Tanduay, joining the ranks of Heart Evangelista, Jessy Mendiola, Bela Padilla, and Ellen Adarna.
She HAS BEEN in a relationship with Diego Loyzaga since 2020
On January 1, 2021, Diego Loyzaga revealed his relationship with Barbie through an Instagram post.
He said in his post, "Happy new year to us [heart emoji] thanks for making the end of my 2020 memorable. Lets gooo 2021!! :)"
The photo showed the two of them hugging at the beach, hinting at their romantic relationship.
The two have since become very open about their relationship, posting on their social media accounts and serving their fans with a steady dose of kilig.
Just recently, Barbie got into a rift with AJ Raval involving Diego. Amidst the issue, Barbie and Diego's relationship is still strong, even sharing love advice during a virtual press conference of the film Dulo.
The two stars said, “Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Maging honest ka lang kahit alam mo na masasaktan yung tao.
“Mas okay yun kesa itago mo tapos pagmukhain mong tanga yung partner mo. Minsan, sinasabi natin na nakikinig naman tayo pero hindi naman talaga pumapasok sa utak.
“Parang okay, nakikinig ka lang pero wala naman pag-iintindi. So importante na kapag nakikinig ka, iniintindi mo rin.
"For guys, understanding talaga. Let’s be honest, understanding. You gotta put your girl first. That’s the truth. Totoo iyan.”
The couple celebrated their first anniversary on December 11.