‘No bad blood’: James Reid on Liza Soberano quitting company

Metro Manila, Philippines— Actress Liza Soberano has quit James Reid’s company, and the singer-actor said there was “no bad blood” in the process.

In an interview with showbiz vlogger Ogie Diaz, who was also the former talent manager of Soberano, Reid pointed out the termination for convenience clause in Soberano’s contract with Careless Music.

“Siya ang umalis [She left]. And you know, with our agreement with Liza, you know, we have a clause: termination for convenience. So she can leave anytime. Actually, I think mas focus siya sa career niya sa LA (she is more focused on her career in Los Angeles),” said Reid.

The actor-turned-businessman said Soberano wants to build an international career while his company is focused on local talent.

“We had different career paths,” said Reid. He added that Soberano is now co-managed by Transparent Arts in the United States.

“She's really focused there so it didn't really make sense for us. Actually she's been managing herself I can say, making a lot of her own decisions. I'm going to tell you guys, she's very creative, very ambitious, she's very business-minded and it's been great working with her,” said Reid.

The actor said that he wished Soberano the best with her international projects.

Over the weekend, Careless Music issued a statement that announced Sobereno’s exit from the talent management group.

“Liza Soberano is no longer under Careless Music Management effective July 29, 2024. It has been a pleasure to have represented her and we wish her the best in all of her endeavors,” it said.

Reid said the company informed Soberano about the statement and the actress has yet to respond.

“There were already so many rumors coming out. Has Liza left Careless? May problema ba? So I made the call just to release it. So it's clear that we're no longer managing her,” said Reid.

Reid said Careless is still ready to support Soberano should she decide to explore opportunities in the country.

“The Careless team is always here for her, no matter what. And it's been a great ride working with her over the past five years. Through the pandemic, she's come a very long way. And, yeah, we're very proud of her,” said Reid.

Soberano signed with Careless in 2022. She left Diaz’s management after 11 years.