Kris Aquino opens up about ‘painful truth’ about past relationship; gives health updates

Kris Aquino took to Instagram the latest update on her recovery journey from battling multiple autoimmune diseases.

The Queen of All Media said her rheumatologist tried ultrasound-assisted targeted steroid shots on her knees the night before and that her body reacted the same way it did when they tried the treatment 34 months ago.

In the photos Kris shared, she could be seen being carried by her son Bimby to the bathroom.

“Bimb is now doing MMA training and [I] weigh less than 80 lbs, only 36 kilos. I cannot walk, each step is agony. The excruciating pain is from my knees all the way to my feet, a combination of deep bone pain,” Kris explained.

Kris added that the deep pain was a combination of lupus arthritis, polymyositis, and acute fibromyalgia. She decided to share her current reality to be able to inspire hope.

“When you are unconditionally loved, when like me you are blessed with a son who will do all to lessen his mama’s physical & emotional suffering – HINDI KA SUSUKO. TINITIIS ko yung matinding sakit na parte na ng bawat araw ko dahil ang pagmamahal ng anak ay walang katumbas,” she said.

Kris added, “Life is difficult for all of us–but faith in God and REAL love proven by ACTION gives ALL the needed willpower to persevere.”

Kris also penned her gratitude to everyone praying for her healing, and most especially to her “northern star,” Bimby.

“Thank you God, thank you TO ALL for your continued prayers for my healing, and to MY “northern star” – Bimb for being much more than your mama deserves,” she mused.

 

 

In the same post, Kris shared the “painful truth” about her past relationship with her doctor boyfriend.

“During this time of uncertainty, [I] choose to share MY PAINFUL TRUTH. [T]he doctor [I] loved left me because he wanted the freedom to travel, to break free from needing to care for & the reality of KRIS AQUINO who had multiplying autoimmune diseases with so few treatment options,” she said.

“Enough time has passed: he did not love me. In my defense, he did receive the correct professional fees–even when we were a couple. End of that chapter,” Kris continued, adding how she was never afraid to admit the truth.

“The TRUTH, in his words ‘INIWAN KITA DAHIL MAHIRAP KANG MAHALIN, sobrang sikip ng paligid.’ [M]y prayer is that he will now STOP trash talking & cursing my best friends and doctors who are still doing all they can to improve my quality of life, proving everyday genuine love, compassion & loyalty,” Kris added.

In February 2025, Kris Aquino surprised her fans and followers by making her first public appearance at PeopleAsia’s People of the Year event night.

Kris Aquino also celebrated her birthday this year with her family and friends.

RELATED CONTENT: Balikan ang timeline ng health scares ni Kris Aquino:

Migraine

One of Kris Aquino’s main health concerns is her migraine, for which she took 34 injections in 2017 to prevent the headache.

 

Hypertension

Kris also suffers from hypertension, which motivated her to keep a healthier lifestyle to prevent her blood pressure from shooting up.

Anaphylactic reaction

In early 2018, Kris posted on Instagram about having anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction.

Weight loss

Amid the business betrayal that she recently experienced, Kris experienced an alarming 15-pound drop in her weight. Kris then sought medical attention in Singapore following this.

Fears

In a lengthy Instagram post, Kris revealed her worries as she waited for her medical results, and how her two sons, Josh and Bimby were also scared for their mother’s health.

Worried for her sons

Kris revealed that both her sons were anxious and confused. Her younger son, Bimby even offered to donate his kidney to her should it be needed.

Blood testing

Kris underwent extensive tests which included drawing 12 vials of blood in a week and another 16 vials the following week.

Medical findings

After several tests and a week of waiting, Kris shared her health findings. She was diagnosed with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria, an autoimmune disease which requires her to be on high dosage of anti-histamines as she is prone to recurring severe allergic reactions.

Rare disease

Kris noted that her condition is a rare illness, affecting less than 1% of the world’s population and requires her to always carry emergency medication for allergies.

Back to work

Presently, Kris is glad to be back to work with more peace of mind and control over her health.

Delaying the inevitable

 

On January 5, 2018, Kris Aquino revealed at a press conference that she is battling “a form of lupus.” She said, “Now I can tell you the truth, I’m allergic to every single medicine that can cure you or at least manage your symptoms kung may lupus ka. All my doctors are doing now is delaying it.”

What causes extreme weight loss

 

Kris went to Singapore again with her youngest son Bimby to undergo another series of tests “to determine why I have symptoms and blood test results seeming to confirm two autoimmune disorders, SLE (a form of Lupus) and Thyroiditis.”

“Not healthier but not worse.”

 

Despite identifying the cause of her rapid weight loss, Kris Aquino shares that she still has a hard time restoring her health. In early 2020, the Queen of All Media said she still needs to “battle anemia, control my thyroid issues, and other stuff. I may not be healthier, but I’m not worse.”

Symptoms

 

Being at peace with her condition, Kris often gets candid about her autoimmune disease on social media. For one, the TV personality showed a photo of herself with her left eyeball visibly protruding than her right. According to Kris, this is one of the signs of her autoimmune thyroiditis.

Taking matters to her own hands

 

Because of her autoimmune disease, Kris Aquino makes sure to hinder herself from being exposed to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). That means moving away from the city and renting a home in the province where she can rest and focus on her health.

Recent condition

On January 3, 2021, Kris Aquino posted photos of her getting treatment which undeniably showing her weight loss compared to how she looked in her recent posts on Instagram.

Treatment

Kris Aquino recently revealed through her post that she will soon go abroad for another treatment.

Drastic

The TV personality is currently experiencing drastic weight loss. Now she weighs 88 lbs. or 40 kilos.

Kris Aquino ends her Instagram post with a positive thought: “My faith in God has taught me I must completely surrender all, to His will and His timing.”

Health update

On January 13, 2022, Kris posted on her Instagram account another update about her health condition. The TV personality showed some videos of her being taken care of by private medical personnel.

 

Kris also mentioned that she needs to fight her declining health for her two sons, Josh and Bimb. She wrote, “Mahaba pa ang laban ko to strengthen my body & heal my broken heart… BUT from childhood I already knew, for me weakness could never be an option… especially NOW because I have kuya Josh & Bimb who still need me to love, care, and provide for them. Para sa dalawang pinakamamahal ko, hindi ako susuko.”

Fragile and weak

Kris shared that her veins in the IV line are getting fragile and weak. She wrote, “Isang request lang po, please don’t scold my nurse for not wearing gloves during our IV insertion- ako po ang nag request na tanggalin na nya kasi naubusan ako ng veins for the IV line, fragile & weak kasi ang mga ugat ko. Whether doctor or nurse, inaabot minsan ng 8 attempts to get the line successfully in.”

 

Loved by friends

She also thanked her friends who prayed for her healing and sent her flowers, rosaries, prayer books, etc.

Xolair treatment

On March 1, 2022, Kris Aquino happily told her followers about her first successful Xolair injection. According to www.hopkinsmedicine.org, Xolair is used to treat patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma.

Preliminary tests

In March 2022, Kris Aquino underwent preliminary tests such as PET/CT Scan, endoscopy, and bone marrow biopsy before going abroad to seek further treatment. On these tests, Kris was grateful that there was no tumor detected on her. However, she was diagnosed with erosive gastritis and gastric ulcer. She is still waiting for the bone marrow biopsy result.

Cancer ruled out

In an earlier post, Kris said about the tests done to her, “Cancer is ruled out, kidney function is okay, sugar is fine (meaning no diabetes), and so far liver function is okay considering all my maintenance meds.”

Sources of strength

Kris Aquino continues to draw strength from her two boys, Josh and Bimby, as she goes through this health scare.

Treatment in the US

In her birthday greeting to Regine Velasquez, Kris revealed that she had planned on going to the United States and staying there for one year to seek treatment.

 

Travel clearance

However, Kris’s plan to go to the US did not materialize as she failed to get travel clearance from her doctors, citing her high blood pressure. “Hindi ko kakayanin yung long haul flight,” she said.

 

Life-threatening

A few weeks after she failed to get her travel clearance, Kris admitted that her illness is now “life-threatening.” She also explained that she has three autoimmune diseases – chronic spontaneous urticaria, autoimmune thyroiditis, and Churg Strauss-Syndrome.

Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA)

Through an Instagram post on June 3, Kris Aquino shared the latest diagnosis of her medical doctors about her condition. Her doctors revealed that Kris has been diagnosed with Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA), a disease caused by inflammation that occurs in certain types of cells in your blood or your tissues.

 

Serious medical treatment

Despite the severeness of her health condition, Kris is hopeful to undergo a series of medical treatments in the U.S. and thanked everyone who prayed for her immediate healing and recovery.

 

“Maraming salamat po sa lahat ng nagdasal for my recovery. Here’s the truth as explained by my attending physician Dr. Niño Gavino, an exceptional Filipino American doctor based in Houston who successfully diagnosed what’s really wrong with my health,” she wrote on Instagram.

‘Time is now my enemy’

The Queen of all Media admitted that she is running out of time to be fully recovered, as it was also disclosed by her medical doctors.

 

“I’ll miss you- my friends & followers very much. Time is now my enemy, naghahabol kami hoping na wala pang permanent damage to the blood vessels leading to my heart,” Kris shared.

June 2022

In June 2022, Kris shared a brief update about her health status.

“For now, 12 noon, June 29, 2022 where we are-this is what I felt you needed to know, straight from me para alam ng lahat ito ang totoo,” she wrote in her post.

“This isn’t a permanent goodbye, ibalato n’yo na lang hanggang malagpasan namin itong matinding pagsubok. Thank you for all your prayers- Í am forever #grateful,” Kris added.

 

Two more autoimmune diseases

In August 2022, Ballsy Aquino shared that her sister Kris Aquino has been diagnosed with two more autoimmune diseases after a series of medical testing in the United States.

Suitable treatment

Kris’s medical team is still determined to find a suitable treatment for her medical condition. Another team of medical doctors will handle her further treatments according to her sister Ballsy.

 

Gratitude

In August 2023, she wrote, “I chose the midpoint between my mom’s 14th death anniversary and my dad’s upcoming 40th death anniversary to THANK ALL OF YOU who continue to PRAY for my recovery.”

No cure

Kris has accepted that daily management of her health is now a part of her life. “Clarification: Autoimmune disorders have NO CURE, but life threatening damage on the patient’s organs can be prevented or managed if diagnosed early and/or given the proper treatment.”

Home

Though she has settled in her California rental home, Kris says she wishes to come back to the Philippines once her health allows. She also emphasized that she is single and she chooses to feel more peaceful.

Boy Abunda

In October 2023, one of Kris’s closest friends in showbiz, Boy Abunda, paid her a visit. Kris said, “Boy never asked for anything pero sa laki ng utang na loob namin sa kanya.”

Motivation

She refers to her sons Josh and Bimby as her reasons she “refuses to give up.”

Fifth autoimmune illness

 

On ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’ last February 2024, Kris Aquino shared with her longtime friend Boy Abunda that she has her fifth auto-immune illness which can be a mixed connective tissue disease or rheumatoid arthritis.

Allergic to medicines

 

In Boy Abunda’s interview with Kris Aquino, the former TV host-actress shared that her medication has become more challenging because of her being allergic to some medicines.

Crucial stages

Kris Aquino stated on ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’ in February 2024 that the coming months will be crucial to her since she will have to undergo treatment with new medicine, which may cure her illness or just worsen her condition.

Keeping her promise

On Bimby’s 17th birthday, Kris Aquino penned a heartfelt message for her son. Kris wrote that she is keeping her promise to Bimby that she will be strong and fight for her health.

“I’m sorry for showing weakness yesterday when I cried non-stop because of my fear that I may not be around to be with you on your 18th birthday–it’s my fault for not being grateful,” Kris wrote to Bimby.

Return

Months after Bimby returned to the Philippines, Kris Aquino also flew back to the country. She mentioned that her return was to begin her second round of immunosuppressant treatment, which according to her is “a gentler term for chemotherapy”.

Confine

Continuing her therapy, Kris Aquino was admitted to St. Luke’s Global Hospital for tests. She also underwent a PET and chest scan to examine her breathing and sinus passages, as she had been experiencing constant headaches and a persistent runny nose.

Cancer

The day after her scan, Kris Aquino had a breakdown when her doctor informed her that the results showed heightened activity in her colon area, suggesting the possibility of colon cancer.

Brave

 

Kris Aquino admitted that she struggled to tell her son, Bimby, the news while watching him peacefully sleep in the room. When she finally found the courage to share the news, Bimby bravely comforted her with words of positivity.

Cancer Free

After an anxious wait, the day finally arrived for Kris Aquino’s health assessment. In a positive turn of events, her doctor confirmed that she’s cancer-free and her intestines are clear.

Six

Despite the good news, Kris Aquino faced another challenge as she has been diagnosed with five, possibly six autoimmune conditions. Three of these were reported life-threatening and could damage her vital organs or blood vessels. They are Churg-Strauss syndrome (also known as EGPA), systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), and systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus/SLE).

Bone

In addition to her autoimmune conditions, Kris Aquino revealed that she suffers from lupus ar

Brave

Despite the challenges she faces, Kris Aquino remains strong and is looking forward to returning to showbiz.

Bathroom fall

According to Kris’s close friend Dindo Balares, the Queen of All Media lost her balance in the bathroom. Kris said to Dindo, “Parang bigla nanghina my left knee so I hit the marble wall. Praise God when I shouted Bimb, he jumped from the bed, less than 5 seconds from when I shouted he was there – na prevent niya my head slamming into the marble wall.”