GOSSIP GIRL: Comedian Ate Gay asks for prayers
It hits me in the heart to write this—because Ate Gay is not just a comedian I often share the stage with, but also a friend. Someone whose laughter and jokes have brightened people's hearts is now battling far more serious issues than any punchline.
Gil Morales, better known as Ate Gay, has revealed that she (she prefers this pronoun so I will respect it) is fighting stage 4 cancer. In her interview with Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, she shared how it all began: a slight asymmetry in her face, what first seemed like a harmless swelling, an alarming bleed. Initial scans hinted the mass was benign, but further tests—CT, biopsy, consultations—brought devastating confirmation. Doctors reportedly told her that surgery is no longer an option. The prognosis is somber: Ate Gay was told she might not survive past 2026. “Wala raw lunas,” she said. No cure. But Ate Gay is a fighter.
This is a comedian who has long brought joy, impersonations, witty banter—yet now she is facing days filled with pain, tears, and unspoken fears. “Halos araw-araw umiiyak ako Giselle,” she admitted to Gossip Girl. And yet, in that vulnerability, there is courage because she still says, “Gusto ko pa mabuhay. Kaya aasa talaga ako sa mga prayers ninyong lahat.” (I still want to live, so I am relying on all your prayers.)
In times like this, the measure of friendship and solidarity becomes visible. And many have stepped forward. Among them is Allan K, her fellow comedian and longtime friend.
Allan K revealed during a benefit show for Ate Gay that although Ate Gay initially resisted having a fundraiser—because she did not want to “bother people”—she eventually came to understand the need. On stage, Allan K shared messages between them: Ate Gay confided in him that doctors believe she has mucoepidermoid cancer (a rare tumor) versus squamous cell carcinoma. She asked if Allan knew a specialist who might help, and expressed his wish to keep on living.
That fundraiser—benefit show brought together comedians, friends, and. fans. Allan K, José Manalo, Sugar Mercado, Boobay, Eric Nicolas, and others rallied onstage in support. It was emotional, with tears, not just from Ate Gay, but from many who see in her someone who always gives laughter, now in deep need of hope.
Right now, Ate Gay is at the Asian Hospital. Physically, she is weakened. Emotionally, she is hopeful, and spiritually, she is still fighting, still asking for prayers, and still hoping for strength. She says she’s not given up. She says she still wants to live.
In this present condition, there is fragility, yes. There is fear. There is uncertainty. But also, there is love. Love from friends. Love from fans. Love in every message, in every prayer, in every promise of help. If Ate Gay taught us anything, it is that laughter can heal. Let us keep Ate Gay in our hearts, in our prayers. Let us show up for her—not just with our sympathy, but with action, with kindness, with unabashed hope. Because a life that made so many others laugh deserves every chance to keep going.