Expert: John Lloyd Cruz changes endorsement rules

MANILA, Philippines — In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, an advertising agency executive offered an explanation on why actor John Lloyd Cruz is on leave from showbiz.

According to the expert, who requested not to be named and who claims to be connected with the establishments that hired Cruz as an endorser, the actor was reportedly dropped by some of his endorsements due to his tainted wholesome image following the leak of videos showing him in a seemingly drunken state, flashing a dirty finger and throwing cuss words.

The videos were reportedly uploaded online by a friend of Cruz’s rumored girlfriend Ellen Adarna.

The expert said Cruz’s image further plunged when the actor posted a picture of stools in a toilet bowl, which also went viral on social media.

The expert’s claim has also been verified by a showbiz insider in a separate interview. According to the showbiz pundit, who also requested anonymity, endorsements are the lifeblood of actors like John Lloyd Cruz, and they can only get such for as long as they keep their image wholesome.

Because of what happened to John Lloyd, the showbiz insider said companies seeking endorsers are now stricter in their criteria. Not only must the actor’s image must be “wholesome.” To make sure that it is really “wholesome,” the contract for endorsers now allegedly includes “pages” of “morality clause.”

In a press statement issued by ABS-CBN on October 6 to Philstar.com, the TV network announced that "ABS-CBN and John Lloyd Cruz have agreed for him to take an indefinite leave of absence to attend to personal matters."

Cruz has been last spotted in Europe with Ellen.