Singer-businessman Jojo Mendrez turned emotional during the press launch of his debut original single ‘Nandito Lang Ako’ after being surprised by former Kapuso actor Rainier Castillo, who gave him a tight and emotional hug.
The event took place on Friday, March 2, at the ELJ Building in Quezon City. The reunion between the two stirred speculations further, as Jojo has been previously linked not just to Rainier but also to fellow ‘StarStruck’ Season 1 alum Mark Herras.
Photos of Jojo with Rainier—spotted at a hotel casino and dining together—have been making the rounds on social media, fueling rumors about the true nature of their closeness. The talk escalated when Rainier made a surprise appearance at Jojo’s presscon, hugging him tightly, in contrast to Mark’s earlier flower-bearing surprise for Jojo at a separate media event.
Addressing the persistent speculation, Jojo said, “Wala hong ganu’n. Tingnan niyo, ang nasa isip niyo na ‘yung ganu’n kasi ayun ‘yung nababasa natin sa social media, napapanood natin. Kaya nandoon na ‘yung judgment na talagang meron na nangyayari.”
He added, “Kumbaga, kahit i-explain ko, wala nang maniniwala. Kung idedenay ko naman, sasabihin nagsisinungaling. Kaya hindi ko alam kung saan ako lalagay sa ganyang sitwasyon.”
Jojo also shared how he and Rainier became closer, revealing that it was Mark Herras who initially introduced Rainier to him. But due to Mark’s increasing unavailability, Jojo and Rainier began spending more time together.
“Bali in-introduce siya sa akin ni Mark, parang nagkayayaan tapos nu’ng nakikilala ko na si Rainier, si Mark naman naging busy. Halimbawa, dapat lalabas kami o may gagawin sa labas, or mag-collab kami—lagi siyang hindi available,” he explained.
“At that time, ang available lagi is si Rain, si Buboy, siya lagi available. Kaya laging madalas ‘yung pagkikita namin nu’ng tao,” Jojo added.
Despite the controversies, Jojo expressed gratitude to Star Music PH, especially to executives Roxy Liquigan and Jonathan Manalo, for trusting him with his first original song. Manalo also composed ‘Nandito Lang Ako,’ which tells the story of someone secretly in love with a friend and willing to wait for the right time for their love story to unfold.
‘Nandito Lang Ako’ will be available soon on all major digital music platforms.
