Bela Padilla
Padilla performing atMMDA Anniversary in 2016
Born	Krista Elyse Hidalgo Sullivan[1] (1991-05-03)May 3, 1991 (age 34) Makati,Metro Manila, Philippines
Other names	Krista Valle Krista Sullivan
Occupations	Actress television host singer director writer
Years active	2007–present
Agents	Star Magic (2007–2010; 2025–present)[2] GMA Artist Center (2010–2015) Viva Artists Agency (2015–2025)
Height	1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Family	Padilla family

Krista Elyse Hidalgo Sullivan (born May 3, 1991), known professionally asBela Padilla (Tagalog pronunciation:[paˈdɪlja]), is a Filipino actress, host, singer, writer, and director.

She is best known for her roles in television dramas onGMA-7 andABS-CBN, as well as critically acclaimed films such as100 Tula Para Kay Stella (withJC Santos) andMeet Me in St. Gallen (withCarlo Aquino). She is also recognized for her performances inThe Day After Valentine's andOn Vodka, Beers, and Regrets. In 2022, she made her directorial debut with the film366 (oppositeZanjoe Marudo andJC Santos), produced byViva Films. Additionally, she wrote the screenplay forJoyce Bernal's filmLast Night, starringToni Gonzaga andPiolo Pascual. Aside from her acting career, she has continued to develop her skills in writing and directing for future projects.

Krista Elyse Hidalgo Sullivan was born to British father Cornelius Gary Sullivan and Filipina mother Margarette Cariño Hidalgo ("Meg"). Her father was divorced from his first wife. She has three elder half-siblings inEngland from her father's first marriage, as well as an older brother from both of her parents. She first attended aMontessori-styleinternational school inForbes Park, Makati, before attending the foreigners' class atColegio San Agustin – Makati.^[3] Padilla took upjournalism as anelective insenior high school.^[4] Padilla was a classmate ofLovi Poe.^[5]

Padilla's maternal grandmother (mother of Meg) is the sister of Eva Cariño-Padilla, wife of actor-director and formerCamarines Norte governorRoy Padilla Sr.^[6] She is the niece, by second-degree consanguinity, of actorsRommel Padilla,Robin Padilla, andBB Gandanghari,^[7] and second cousin toRJ andDaniel Padilla (sons of Rommel), as well asQueenie andKylie Padilla (daughters of Robin).^[8] She is a practicingJehovah's Witness.^[9] Padilla's father, Cornelius, died in August 2023.^[10]

Padilla was discovered byABS-CBN talent scout Jet Valle during one of his field trips. Valle introduced her to ABS-CBN, where she joinedStar Magic Batch 15 and adopted the stage name "Krista Valle." Her debut television role came in 2007 in the teen drama seriesStar Magic Presents:Abt Ur Luv Ur Lyf 2. She later changed her stage name to "Krista Sullivan" when she transitioned to a freelance acting career. In 2009, she appeared in a minor role in the TV seriesTotoy Bato, and shortly after, she became a regular cast member ofLokomoko High onTV5.

In 2010, Padilla leftStar Magic, signed with managerClaire dela Fuente, and moved toGMA. With this move, she also adopted the name "Bela Padilla." She starred in the 2011 fantasy seriesMachete alongsideAljur Abrenica. That same year, she won the Miss Friendship and Media's Darling awards at the 2011 Asian Super Model Contest, held inGuilin andNanning in theGuangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region ofChina.^[11]

Padilla made headlines in 2012 when herFHM Philippines magazine cover for the March issue was pulled due to accusations ofracism.^[12][13] Later that year, she starred in the titular role in the afternoon drama seriesMagdalena: Anghel sa Putikan. In 2013, she starred oppositeRichard Gutierrez in the primetime seriesLove & Lies.

After a return toABS-CBN in 2015, Padilla joined the action-packed seriesFPJ's Ang Probinsyano alongsideCoco Martin. Two years later, in 2017, she headlined the drama seriesMy Dear Heart and starred in the romantic film100 Tula Para Kay Stella, which became the highest-grossing film at the firstPista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. She made her debut as a screenwriter in the filmLast Night, which premiered on September 27, 2017, throughStar Cinema.^[14]

Padilla took the lead role in the 2019 crime drama seriesSino ang Maysala?: Mea Culpa. She also starred in the Philippine adaptation of the Korean filmMiracle in Cell No. 7, which was an official entry to the2019 Metro Manila Film Festival. The film went on to earn ₱543 million at the box office, making it one of the highest-grossing Filipino films of all time.^[15]

Padilla made her directorial debut with the drama film366, which premiered on April 13, 2022, onVivamax. Padilla starred in the film alongsideZanjoe Marudo.^[16]

In 2024, Padilla made her return to television as a guest host on the noontime variety showIt's Showtime.^[17][18] In November that same year, she launched her personal beauty brand Bela by Bela.^[19] In October 2024, Padilla was confirmed to reprise her role in a sequel of100 Tula Para Kay Stella, which would be titled100 Awit Para Kay Stella. The film will premiere in September 2025.^[20][21]

In 2020, Padilla is a co-owner of Seoul based skincare company,Britory with business partners DongWoo Kang and WonYoung Ryu which opened in South Korea.^[22]

She launched her beauty business,BELA by Bela with beauty products including lip tints, cheeks tints and lip balm in 2024.^[23]

On November 24, 2021, Padilla revealed that she had relocated toLondon.^[24] She attributed her move to be more productive during theCOVID-19 pandemic, as well as to find a sense of security following thenonrenewal of ABS-CBN's franchise. Additionally, she also held dual Filipino and British citizenship, and had several paternal relatives based in London.^[25][26] She was in a relationship with Swiss national Norman Bay. She first introduced him to the public in October 2020 through an Instagram post, in which she captioned, "the one I met in St. Gallen," in reference to her previous movieMeet Me in St. Gallen^[27] but broke up with him after she decided to return to the Philippines.^[28] In November 2023, she enrolled in an acting course in theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art.^[29]

In January 2025, Padilla announced that she had moved back to the Philippines and "temporarily closing" her "chapter" in London to resume working full-time as an actress, as well as resume scriptwriting.^[30] She later shared in August that she and Bay had mutually broken up, largely due to their long-distance relationship and her return to the Philippines; the two remained friends and Bay visited Padilla during the filming of100 Awit Para Kay Stella.^[31]

In November 2024, Padilla revealed that she haspolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) andhypothyroidism, having been diagnosed when she was nineteen years old.^[32]

• Bela Padilla atIMDb

• 1991 births
• Living people
• ABS-CBN people
• Actresses from Makati
• Filipino child actresses
• Filipino Christians
• Filipino expatriates in the United Kingdom
• Filipino film actresses
• Filipino people of British descent
• Filipino people of English descent
• Filipino people of Irish descent
• Filipino television actresses
• GMA Network (company) people
• Padilla family
• People of Saint Helenian descent
• Star Magic personalities
• Viva Artists Agency

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use Philippine English from May 2024
• All Wikipedia articles written in Philippine English
• Use mdy dates from May 2024
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