Kaye Abad prefers being best wife to best actress

After starring in “The Journey” which streamed on Netflix, Kaye Abad proved naysayers wrong that she left showbiz to focus on raising a family with Paul Jake Castillo.

Kaye and Paul Jake got married in 2016 and have since been based in the latter’s hometown Cebu City with their children Joaquin and Iñigo.

“Actually, I did not leave showbiz. It just so happened that I am based in Cebu. ‘Pag may trabaho, gagawin ko. Hindi niya (Paul Jake) ako pinipigilan,” clarified Kaye during her recent guest appearance in “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda.”

The Cebu-based celeb couple with their two boys.

Kaye Abad's Instagram

“I had to turn down many offers before and that, perhaps, created the wrong impression,” added Kaye who has no plans of retiring from show business anytime soon.

Her present role as a housewife is giving Kaye a sense of fulfillment. A typical day for her would start with her prepping breakfast for her children, followed by a workout routine, fetching her child from school, cooking lunch, taking an afternoon nap with the kids, accompanying them to the park or mall, and managing other household tasks, including driving herself for errands since she doesn’t have a driver.

Last year, Kaye became a trending topic on social media after she was seen on one TikTok video doing grocery shopping in Cebu with six bodyguards. This columnist wanted to know the backstory so Kaye amusingly recounted what exactly happened in the local supermarket before the video went viral.

“Nakakagulat kasi si-nend lang ‘yun ng friend ko na sabi, ‘Kaye, totoo ba ‘to, na may bodyguards ka?’ Close friend ko yun ha. Sabi ko, ‘Saan ‘yan?’ Sabi n’ya kumalat daw sa TikTok. When I explained, many (people) didn’t believe me.”

Kaye asserted that it’s not true that she has bodyguards. According to her, she went to the supermarket to do a content for its Friday Sale. “The organizer then was from Manila. Then he told me to come, and we would meet. When I arrived, there were many bodyguards from the grocery store.

“I said, ‘I don’t need bodyguards because Cebuanos are already used to seeing me.’ And they told me it’s okay since they (bodyguards) don’t have anything to do. So, I was walking with the bodyguards along with my son. Pag-pasok, sabi n’ya, ‘O, i-sho-shoot na kita.’ Na-timing nandoon pa ‘yung bodyguards. So, nakunan ‘yung bodyguards.”

Kaye went on to share that when they were inside the supermarket, she felt awkward and requested the bodyguards not to follow her anymore and that she would call them if needed. “Pero hindi ko kailangan. Hindi ako pagkakaguluhan. Hindi ako kailangan bantayan,” she stressed.

“So, they’re not my bodyguards. I don’t even have a driver, Tito Boy. I drive sa Cebu. Wala akong driver, so bakit uunahin ko pang mag-bodyguards. Wala akong pampasweldo sa bodyguards. Nagkukuripot nga ako, mag-bodyguards pa ako?” offered Kaye.

Although Paul Jake belongs to a prominent family, Kaye emphasized that “his family is very simple and does not live a lavish lifestyle.”

Before they became husband and wife, Kaye revealed no courtship took place between her and Paul Jake because they started as friends. In fact, she even set him up on a date with her friend “but my friend teased na mas bagay kami ni Paul Jake.”

At first, Kaye said, she didn’t feel anything towards Paul Jake but not until he went to Europe. “Nami-miss ko na siya kasi we would do Face Time every day. And then later on, we both fell for each other. Wala ng ligawan. Sabi n’ya sa text (message), ‘I think I like you,’” narrated Kaye who went steady with Paul Jake for two years prior to exchanging “I Do’s” seven years ago.

Kaye’s morena beauty also caught the attention of her “Tabing-Ilog” co-stars Patrick Garcia, Paolo Contis and John Lloyd Cruz during her teenage years. Of the three, it was John Lloyd who won her heart. Kaye shared that she has remained friends with her showbiz exes, including Chito Miranda, and admitted that moving on from John Lloyd was the most challenging “because we were a loveteam in ‘Tabing-Ilog’ mahirap ‘yun kasi magkatrabaho kayo, na kailangan sweet kayo sa harap ng kamera.”

Kaye with husband Paul Jake as her date to the ABS-CBN Ball in 2023.

Kaye amusingly recalled the time when Ces Quesada told her that she’s the “ligawin” type. “In ‘Tabing-Ilog,’ all of them (female co-stars) were mestiza pero parang ako ‘yung pinaka mestiza,” she laughingly said.

Beauty is not only defined by physical looks but also by what’s inside your heart. In her film “The Journey,” Kaye mentioned the importance of living life with the choices you make.

“It’s all about who you are and the people you are with, kahit ano pa ‘yan, kahit sa marriage, you should be together through thick and thin,” Kaye said.

“I’m very happy. Sometimes, he’s (Paul Jake) not in the house for a week. Nagpupunta siya sa Surigao for work but I don’t feel sad. I have my own life. I go out with my friends. I am content,” added Kaye who prefers being the best wife to being the best actress.