RAQUEL Pempengco recently shared a series of cryptic posts on social media, seemingly in response to resurfaced excerpts from her son Jake Zyrus’ 2018 memoir, I Am Jake.
The book details the alleged sexual abuse Zyrus suffered at the hands of an uncle during childhood.
Taking to Facebook, Pempengco dismissed the claims as “fake news” and hinted at providing her own version of events. “There’s fake news again—apparently from a book. My bashers, that book is outdated… Just wait, I’ll be the one to update it,” she wrote, suggesting that the narrative presented in the memoir was incomplete or inaccurate.
In another post, she appeared to acknowledge accusations against her, sarcastically embracing the title “Evil Queen.” “Of course, in that story, I’m the villain. But I don’t even know that story… I’m used to being called the bad one. If that makes you happy, so be it,” she stated.
However, she clarified that she had no intention of writing her own book, as she did not want to create further negativity.
Without explicitly naming her son, Pempengco insinuated that his success was due to her efforts. “You are where you are because of this ‘evil queen’—this bad mother. No matter how many books are released, you can’t undo what you ruined yourself,” she added.
She also expressed her preference for peace, stating that she would rather not engage with “ungrateful people.” “I choose peace of mind over responding to worthless people who don’t know how to be grateful. Let them carry that burden,” she wrote. She further emphasized that despite their estrangement, her blood still runs through Zyrus’ veins.
The resurfacing of I Am Jake reignited discussions about Zyrus’ past, including his claim that he was sexually abused as a six-year-old while living with his grandparents.
In the memoir, he recalled how his uncle threatened him into silence.
Reliable media source reached out to Pride Press, a division under Anvil Publishing that specializes in LGBTQIA+ stories, to verify the authenticity of the excerpts.
The publishing house confirmed that the photos circulating online were indeed from Zyrus’ book.
As of writing, Zyrus has not responded to his mother’s latest statements.