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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider James Reid credits GF Issa Pressman for helping him recover after ₱150M loss

James Reid credits GF Issa Pressman for helping him recover after ₱150M loss

Published Jul 28, 2026 06:52 am

At A Glance

  • James Reid shares his partner is the reason why and how he was able to recover from a bad business partnership.

James Reid is opening up about one of the lowest points of his career and why he believes girlfriend Issa Pressman helped pull him out of it.

Speaking on Gary Valenciano's podcast "Unshaken," the actor-singer revealed that he lost around ₱150 million of his hard-earned money at one point, something which he described as nearly all of his savings.

"That was like the last 10 years of work that I've done, probably more. It was almost all of what I've saved," Reid said.

According to Reid, the financial setback stemmed from issues involving his former business partner at Careless Music, someone he considered both a colleague and a close friend. He admitted that made it difficult to recognize what was happening.

"It was Issa that woke me up to all of it," he recalled. "She's the one that really had to shake me and be like, 'Hey, you really need to wake up. This is, I think, really what's going on.'"

The same turbulent period also included the much-discussed 2023 Wavy Baby Music Festival in Mandaue, Cebu, which Careless Music produced. The event was criticized for logistical problems, with attendees reporting delays and organizational issues.

"It was a nightmare... just problem after problem after problem, and police showing up because it was just not planned properly," Reid said, adding that the project was handled by his former business partner.

Yet amid the professional turmoil, another chapter of his life was quietly beginning.

Reid shared that his relationship with Pressman started around the same time, giving him something positive to hold onto despite everything happening around him.

"As horrific as everything that was going on right then, there was also something even more beautiful happening at the same time," he said.

The actor eventually cut ties with his former business partner, both professionally and personally.

Looking back, he said the experience reshaped his priorities and strengthened his relationship with Pressman.

"That love became my compass," Reid said. "I believe that God sent specifically the brightest light in my darkest moments."

Today, Reid says Pressman remains one of his biggest sources of support, both in life and in his music.

 

Related Tags

James Reid Music Careless Music
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