Liza Soberano reveals backing out of 'Darna' multiple times to save LizQuen

Liza Soberano confessed that she backed out of Darna multiple times, citing body image, mental health, and fear that her love team with on- and off-screen partner Enrique Gil would end.

On the March 20 episode of The Interviewer, "King of Talk" Boy Abunda clarified if Liza backed out or if she was fired from the project.

The actress said in 2019 that she withdrew from the show due to a finger injury, but Liza recently revealed that it was also because her training and preparation for the role took a toll on her mental health. "I was training every day. On the off days na wala akong training for Bagani, I was training six hours a day. I would even train when I had taping for Bagani, and I would train on set. I would train six times a week. My only day off was Sunday."

"And then when I would put on a little weight because they wanted me to gain muscle, I would be too overweight for the role. So it's like I was never enough, I was never pleasing them. And so that was really affecting my body image, my mental health. I just didn't think that I was deserving of the role anymore and I didn't think that I could do it," she continued.

Liza also said that LizQuen became a huge factor in her decision at the time.

"I backed out three times. I did so twice and that was before Bagani ended, and that was because they were taking me out of Bagani and I was so scared that the love team was going to end," the actress answered.

She then revealed that Enrique was being offered projects without her, which scared her as she saw the love team as her "comfort zone."

"They were offering Quen projects without me and I didn't want the love team to end. I was holding onto that because it was my comfort zone. And at the time, I thought that me and Quen haven't achieved much compared to the number one love team," Liza explained.

Liza Soberano says 'sorry' and 'thank you' to Enrique Gil, Ogie Diaz, and ABS-CBN, among others

In the same interview, the host asked Liza how she would say "sorry" and "thank you" in relation to her recent controversy about her showbiz career, starting with Enrique.

"I feel like I should say sorry for not being as understanding or being able to see his struggles, because I was struggling at the same time, too. But I want to say thank you because he was very understanding of the whole situation. Until now, he supports me with everything that I do—and he's always been a good friend to me, a good boyfriend. Everything that I have now, lahat ng success ko, he was the person that I got to share that with, and it was a good experience," Liza said.

She then apologized to and thanked her ex-talent manager Ogie Diaz: "Tito Ogie, I would say sorry if I hurt his feelings through my vlog. And I would say thank you for everything that I have, everything that I know, and everything that I've achieved through his help."

Liza next paid tribute to her former network ABS-CBN.

"ABS-CBN was always my second home. I devoted so many years to them. I'm sorry again also to them if there were people that I worked closely with that were offended by some of the things that I said in my vlog. That wasn't the intention. But then also I'm thankful to them and they know this. I'm thankful for them taking a risk on me when I was a nobody. For investing in me, developing me, creating Liza Soberano. And thank you also for being understanding when I decided to no longer renew with them," she said.

She also said sorry and thank you to her "Tita Jona" Lyn Castillo, "Tito Dudu" Unay, her fans, and finally, herself. "Sorry if they're disappointed in the decisions I made. But also thank you for understanding. Thank you for supporting me throughout the years. Thank you for the journey because none of my success would have happened if they didn't support me and believed in me," Liza addressed her fans.

In a March 5 vlog, the local star told Bea Alonzo that Hello, Love, Goodbye was originally meant for LizQuen. While they were filming Bagani, however, Liza learned that the lead role she really wanted and asked to be reserved for her was offered to Kathryn Bernardo, with Enrique still attached to star opposite.

"It wasn't 'til later that I realized, oh my God, ang dami kong hindi nagawa sa career ko. And that's why everybody, I think, takes for granted my talent or acting capabilities because they've only seen me in a love team," Liza said in the viral interview.

Liza has been a hot topic online since her viral This is Me vlog, where she bared her true feelings about her showbiz career as a whole, including the concept of love teams. She has since gone on interviews with Bea Alonzo and Boy Abunda, each time gaining renewed public interest with her controversial statements.