Things You Didn't Know About Jake Zyrus

Despite not having seen him for 15 years when he was killed, the death of Zyrus' father hit the singer hard. He had been struggling with depression related to gender identity issues at the time, and the news of his stabbing sent Zyrus further into his spiral. "When my father got murdered, that's when everything fell apart," he said. "I got even more depressed. Losing my dad, knowing that we didn't have any closure, when I went to the funeral, I just saw him right there and regretted everything."

Turning to his 'Ninang' for help, Zyrus reunited with Oprah Winfrey in 2014 for a special "Where Are They Now" episode, and in her calming company the singer was able to unload about his fragile mental state. Rumors had circulated of an attempted suicide, and while Zyrus quashed them there and then, he did admit to considering it. "I did not slit my wrists, but I thought of it," he said through a stream of tears. "I took all those feelings, I took all the pain. [It] made me stronger, to tell myself that it's time to stand up and go out there."

It was this interview with Winfrey in which Zyrus first explained that his "soul is male." The Filipino icon stated that he didn't want to fully transition into a "male male," but wanted to look the part. "Like, I cut my hair and wear boy clothes and everything, but that's all," he said.

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