Janella was four years old when her parents broke up. According to her mother, Jenine Desiderio, she explained the situation of her family early on to her daughter. "Because to me, instead of her hearing a distorted story outside, I would rather that she heard the truth straight from me even if she's too young," Jenine said.
Janella said that her mom has been her mentor especially when it comes to honing her character as a person. She said that she grew up very disciplined because of her mother.
"For a mom, she is very normal, I can even consider her strict. She lives by her principles and kung ano ang alam niya. Walang compromises, what she says, 'yan na talaga 'yun. To my advantage naman I grew up disciplined, alam ko kung ano ang tama at mali even when she is not around. What I can also say about her is never siyang naging pabaya," Janella said.
Now that she is in showbiz, what is the best advice that she got from her mom? "She told me to take care of myself and always be on the right path. She reminded me that (being in showbiz), I live in a fishbowl and people will be able to see me from all angles. I will need to zoom out and see myself in the eyes of these people."
Janella celebrated her 18th birthday recently. Now that she is an adult she relayed that her mom is teaching her how to manage her earnings. "'Yung pagdadalaga we didn't really have any formal talk about that. What she is teaching me now is how to handle my own money. She is teaching me to be more indepedent. I still live with her, but I want to experience living on my own eventually," she said.
Read the full feature about Janella Salvador on the May issue of StarStudio magazine available now in newsstands nationwide.