Do we like Alden Richards?
Our score: 8 out of 10. No harmful words or company turned up, he funds scholarships and backed anti-corruption protests, and the only black mark is an unverified rumour.
Alden Richards is one of the Philippines' biggest TV names, and 2026 has him everywhere: leading the Viu rom-com Love, Siargao opposite Nadine Lustre, hosting on GMA and prepping a medical drama. He's also been looking back on his AlDub era, the pairing that made him a household name.
The fresh drama is a rumour mill, not a court case. GMA News Online reported unverified claims that a wealthy couple lent him a luxury condo during the pandemic and that he stayed on, and that he was accused of not returning bags, accessories and watches. The article doesn't say who is making the claims, and he and his camp hadn't responded when it ran.
What he did do was speak at the Hero for All 2026 awards, saying he knows that “at the end of the day, I am a good person.” He didn't mention the claims, and the Daily Tribune is careful to say that reading it as a reply is interpretation. Take it as a mate with a rumour about him standing firm, not a confession or a denial.
On the harm check, nothing nasty turned up: no slurs, no conspiracy rabbit holes, no culture-war grifting, and no run of dodgy projects. He posted in support of the September 2025 anti-corruption rallies, and in September 2026 he shared, without a caption, a card contrasting the hospital stay of a former House Speaker with a jailed senior citizen. Where you land on that depends on how you read the politics, but it's hardly harmful. The honest gap is that we found nothing from him on LGBTQ+ rights or the climate, good or bad.
The good stuff is real. He set up the AR Foundation, formally registered in September 2021, which puts underprivileged kids through school, and in June 2026 he was back meeting his scholars at its general assembly. Plenty of colleagues have also stepped up this month to say he is generous and kind.
So: a pass on harm, a pass on nice, and a rumour that's so far just a rumour. If the condo claims get a named source and proof, we'll revisit. Until then, no reason not to be a fan.