Photo credit: Careless

In a candid interview on Ogie Diaz’s YouTube channel, James Reid shared his thoughts on Liza Soberano's decision to leave his talent management company, Careless, as well as the ongoing issues surrounding his former business partner, Jeffrey Oh.

When asked about Liza's departure from Careless, James explained that it was Liza's choice to move on. "We announced a few days ago that she's no longer with Careless. It was her decision to leave. We have a clause, termination for convenience, so she can leave anytime. She's more focused on her career in L.A., while we're focused here in the Philippines," he said.

James also revealed that their career paths began to diverge. While he is returning to acting and focusing on the local industry, Liza has been dedicating her time to her projects in the U.S. under her co-management team, Transparent Arts. "She's very creative, very ambitious, and business-minded. It’s been great working with her," he added, praising Liza for her drive and independence. Despite her leaving, James assured that Careless remains supportive of her: "We wish her all the best with her international projects, and she knows she always has a place to come back to here in the Philippines."

Regarding the company’s official statement about Liza's departure, James said, "That came from us. It made sense to clear up the rumors circulating about her leaving Careless. We wanted to be transparent, so people knew we weren’t managing her anymore."

On the subject of Jeffrey Oh, James revealed more details about the controversy surrounding his former business partner, who had been managing operations at Careless. According to James and his legal counsel, Attorney Rodel de Guzman, Jeffrey’s work visa in the Philippines had issues, which ultimately led to his termination. "He was not who I thought he was. It turns out there were so many things he wasn’t honest about," James admitted.

Attorney Rodel further explained that they had conducted an audit of Careless, which uncovered financial discrepancies and unauthorized decisions made by Jeffrey. "There were obligations that amounted to over a hundred million pesos," he revealed. It appears Jeffrey had used James’ companies, including Careless and Island City, without proper documentation or authorization. Despite efforts to resolve the matter, Jeffrey left the country, making it difficult to recover the funds or address the unresolved issues.

James expressed his frustration over how he had been kept in the dark about many of these problems, including a music festival that ended up costing him significantly. "I had no idea what was going on. He promised to fix things, but none of it happened. In the end, his true colors came out, and it became clear that he was a fraud."

As for whether James plans to take legal action against Jeffrey, Attorney Rodel said, "We are still completing the audit, but it seems likely that charges will be filed."

Despite the challenges, James remains optimistic. "We’ve been fixing these issues, and I’m relieved that he’s no longer part of the picture. Our team is happier, and we’re ready to move forward," he concluded.

This interview not only shed light on the professional shifts in James’ life but also highlighted his resilience in navigating through difficult situations both in his music career and personal business ventures.