AJ Perez's non-showbiz girlfriend steps out of the shadows to express her grief

"At first, I couldn't believe it until I saw AJ."

This was how Steph Ayson, the 17-year-old non-showbizgirlfriend of AJ Perez, reacted when she received the tragic news about the young actor's death.

AJ was killed in a vehicular accident last April 17, Saturday, at Mondaca, Tarlac. He was on his way home from a Kapamilya Karavan show in Dagupan, Pangasinan for the annualBangus Festival.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Steph said that she heard about the death of her boyfriend through AJ's father, Gerry Perez.
"Tito Gerry was the one who called me. When he was telling me, it was hard for me to grasp the idea, so my sister had to call Tito Gerry again and asked and confirmed what happened."
OPENING UP TO THE PUBLIC. AJ and Steph maintained a low-key relationship but due to recent events, the young girl decided to be more accessible by sharing to the public her Twitter account.
She posted this message in the micro-blogging site: "Opening my twitter to the public so I could share the AJ I know with everyone. I've always been his fan since I was in grade school, too."
Steph admitted that their relationship was unique because of AJ's celebrity status.
"There've been quite a number of complications regarding privacy, with regard to our relationship, but the good thing about AJ is that even though we kept it in the quiet, he made sure that I wouldn't feel that I was pushed aside or whatever."
"He really made me feel special in every way that he could, even his friends, [by] constantly texting me," she said.
She described the late actor by saying that he has the "capability to make people feeloptimistic just as he is. And he's just very inspiring and sobrang determined niya."
When asked to share what she will miss most about the young actor, Steph revealed: "I'll just miss the way he calls me every time may break sa taping. Sobrang kulit kasi niya, kahit text or call, or pati sa buong family ko... I'll miss of course having him around and I miss someone constantly bugging me to be okay."
Steph believes that her faith will help her get through this difficult time.
"I know with God's help and AJ's help, I'll be fine."
The remains of AJ Perez have been transferred to the Christ the King Chapel in Green Meadows, Pasig City.
The wake is open to the public starting tonight, April 19, from 9 p.m. until midnight. In succeeding days, public viewing will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., and 9 p.m. until midnight.

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(UPDATED) Star Magic talent AJ Perez, 18, is dead

In the April 2011 issue ofYES! magazine, AJ Perez was included on its list of "The Next Big Thing"— artists who the network executives think would be the nextbig stars.


AJ was one of ABS-CBN's bets for stardom.


AJ was killed in a vehicular accident in Paniqui, Tarlac at 12:20 a.m. today, April 17. He was 18.

THE YES! ARTICLE. The following is the full write-up of YES! about AJ:
AJ Perez entered the scene quietly. A bit too quietly. If you ask Mr. M [Johnny Manahan]. His lines in his early movies (among them Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo and Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo) ended up on the cutting-room floor. The Star Magic chairman emeritus recalls watching those movies and thinking: "Two or three movies, wala siyang linya. Wala siyang linya! I'm waiting for one line. 'Please, Lord, give him one line. Wala."

And yet, there it is, inscribed in a phrase above AJ's full-page photograph in the 2010 Star Magic catalogue: "The One Who Is Next In Line."

Launched as part of the Star Magic Batch 13 in 2006, AJ has bided his time, doing guest stints in weekly drama shows like Star Magic Presents Abt Ur Luv and Your Song Presents Underage, or showcasing his dance moves as part of the Gigger Boys in the Sunday variety show ASAP. Until last year, he had yet to commit to any major teleserye. A senior high-school student at De La Salle Greenhills, AJ continues to give priority to his studies—and any work taking him out of school premises three days a week just has to wait.

This is the major reason, theorizes business unit head Deo Endrinal, why the boy has yet to make a dent in the consciousness of the public. Still, anyone who saw AJ's aggressive turn as a brash neophyte who has to spend a night in the morgue as part of a hazing ritual, in one episode of the horror anthology movie Cinco, would be hard-pressed to deny that AJ's magnetism almost overwhelmed his hapless co-actors.

Deo sees that promising performance as an indication of AJ's dedication to his craft of acting. "He wants to be a good actor! He constantly checks on you whenever you bump into him. 'How's my performance? Were you able to monitor? How's my performance so far?'"

That dedication is even manifest in his exercise regimen, as AJ has put in gym time to turn his once-lanky frame into a manlier body. Slowly, the boy-next-door features are metamorphosing into chiseled, matinee-idol looks. The reason behind all this work on his physique? AJ took the big step of signing on to the nightly soap Sabelas one of the male leads.

Deo says he persuaded the budding heartthrob to sign on by admonishing him that he cannot keep letting opportunitues pass him by. "I told him, 'If you miss out on Sabel, I'm not sure if the next big opportunity will come your way!' He will have to juggle senior high school with Sabel—and that's hard."

But Mr. M is confident that AJ will handle the pressure just fine. "If he gets the right breaks, he'd be like a Rico Yan." We'll stand in line for that.

AJ'S WAKE. According to AJ's dad, the young actor's wake will be held at La Salle Greenhills Chapel starting today, April 17, until Tuesday, April 19.

It was also in La Salle Greenhills where the wake of the the late Rico Yan was held in April 2002.

Just like Rico, AJ was a Star Magic talent and a La Sallista.

AJ Perez, or Antonello Joseph Sarte Perez in real life, was pronounced dead at "12:20 a.m."

The cause of his death, according to reports, is "multiple head injuries," which he sustained after his vehicle was hit by a bus and a truck in Paniqui, Tarlac.

Here's the official statement of ABS-CBN that was sent by Its head of corporate communications Bong Osorio: "Kapamilya talent AJ Perez passed away early this morning after being rushed to a hospital in Tarlac. Together with his father, 2 road managers, a driver and an event marshal, they met a vehicular accident on their way back to Manila after a provincial show. ABS-CBN sympathizes with AJ's family on his untimely demise, and urges everyone to pray for the eternal repose of AJ's soul and for the family and loved ones he left behind"

Showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz had the chance to talk to the young actor's parents.

On Twitter, he wrote the reaction of Mr. Gerardo Perez (published as is): "Sana, panaginip lang to, Ogie. Si Aj ang buhay namin ng mami nya, bakit sya pa? Sana, ako na lang."

Mr. Perez was with his son when the accident happened.

AJ's mom Victoria was still reeling from the shock when she spoke to Ogie in a phone interview. Her words, according to Ogie's Tweet: "Tinanong ko si dadi, bat ang tagal nilang umuwi? Pauwi na raw sila from Dagupan, pero nag-aalala pa rn ako, d ko alam kumbakit balisa ako."

The Star Magic talent just finished his show in Dagupan, Pangasinan, which celebrated its annual Bangus Festival.

Here's Ogie's report via @ogiediaz:

"Galing ng Dagupan, pauwi na. Tulog lahat sa van. Sa Tarlac, biglang bumangga sa trak. Bago pa nadala si AJ Perez sa ospital, wala nang buhay."

"Sa bus po bumangga ang van sakay si AJ Perez kung saan yung left brain nya ang matinding napuruhan."

"Nasa isang clinic sa Paniqui, Tarlac ang mga labi ni AJ Perez. Kausap ko si Daddy kanina, iyak nang iyak. Ndi ako makakatulog nito."

AJ is set to star in an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya this April 30. Prior to this, he was one of the male leads in the TV series, Sabel.

About four hours ago, his second to the last tweet @ajperez17 was about the trip: "On the way home already from Dagupan. Long drive ahead... Thanks to everybody who watched..."

AJ's body will be in La Salle Greenhills starting this afternoon until Tuesday lunchtime. 

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