Mags Cue, Miss Universe Philippines Vice President for Global and National Search, isn’t staying quiet — and she’s not backing down either. The pageant powerhouse finally spoke out after her son, pageant king John Andre, was thrust into the spotlight as one of the latest victims of a leaked sex video scandal.

Speaking for the first time at the grand opening of Pablo clothing store at Ayala Malls in Parañaque City on April 9, the bold mama dropped a surprising take: the leak, she said, turned out to be a blessing in disguise — catapulting Andre straight into showbiz.

"Sobrang okay," said Mags when asked about Andre, in an exclusive interview.

Mags added, "There is no problem, actually. Thank you sa nagpalabas ng video na 'yan because sobrang daming offers niya ngayon," Mags said with confidence. "Andre has many offers left and right because he became popular. Good or bad publicity is still publicity." But here’s the thing — the Cue family wasn’t blindsided at all. Mags revealed they had known about the video since last year, after Andre came to her with a confession.

"We knew it all along. Last year pa, my son confessed. Sabi niya, 'Mom, I did something wrong. Biniro ko pa siya noon. Sabi ko, 'Do you have a sex video?' Sabi niya, 'How did you know? I just said to him, "I felt it."

"First time in his life that he confessed something to me. Sabi ko, "There's nothing wrong with it. Everybody does it. The bad thing about it is that they are all victims. Lahat ng mga celebrities, they are all victims," she said.

The self-described “modern mom” drew a clear line: there was nothing wrong with what her son did in private. The real crime, she stressed, was that it was exposed without his consent — and she’s ready to fight for him.

"Kaya, we sided with him, kasi wala namang masama sa ginawa niya. Ang hindi lang maganda ay kung saan you are doing an intimate act, and it was exposed. May hidden camera pa.

"Somebody even warned my son to meet the girl again, or they would expose the video. So with that, I think they need something. Money? It's extortion.

"Then we said, 'Show the video.' He did nothing wrong. I'm a modern mom, and I will support my son. Kung may ginawa kang mali, I will not support you. But for me, this is a normal thing that people do. Ang abnormal lang doon is that you're doing it and someone is taking it without consent. That is punishable by law." The family, she said, ignored the message for her son.

As for what’s next — Andre is single, thriving, and diving headfirst into showbiz. The aspiring actor has long dreamed of making it on screen, and it looks like the universe (and his mom) has his back. Mags had one clear message for her son:

"Keep going. Ang dami mong pelikulang ginagawa. Meron din siyang teleserye. But I told him not to focus on movies and TV series. Pero gusto niya talagang maging artista at kaya raw niyang pagsabayin.

"Pero kung may problem siya sa schedule, he may decline. Studies first. The whole family supports him. Lagi kong sinasabi sa kanya na walang masama sa ginawa niya. But it was exposed. So I told him to be careful next time," Mags added.

Andre, for his part, didn’t shy away from addressing the controversy head-on. On March 13, he released a heartfelt statement on social media, owning his past and choosing to rise above it:

"Mistakes were made years ago, and I take full responsibility for them. I understand that life comes with risks and difficult lessons. Unfortunately, personal content I believed would remain confidential, unauthorized recordings, was later exposed and circulated online and sold without my consent.

"This was a serious violation of my privacy and a painful experience that no one should have to endure. It is also a matter punishable by law, and we are allowing the authorities to conduct a proper investigation.

"Despite everything, I choose to rise with dignity and strength, turning hardship into growth and challenges into resilience. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me during this difficult time. Your kindness and encouragement mean more than words can express," Andre wrote.

Andre first captured hearts on the national stage when he clinched fourth runner-up at the inaugural 2022 Mister International Philippines pageant — and clearly, the world hasn’t stopped watching since.