Is Jake Zyrus Married?

The Short Answer

Is Jake Zyrus married? — the verified answer, based on reputable media reporting and public records, is covered in detail below. Jake Zyrus is a public figure whose relationships have been documented by entertainment media over the course of a career in the public eye.

What follows is a fact-checked timeline: who Jake Zyrus has been linked with, what is confirmed versus rumored, and where things stand now. Every claim is sourced — speculation is labeled as speculation.

Who Is Jake Zyrus?

Jake Zyrus (Tagalog: [ˈsaɪɾus]; born May 10, 1992), formerly known professionally as Charice Pempengco (Tagalog: [t͡ʃɐˌɾis pɛmˈpɛːŋ.ko]) and under the mononym Charice, is a Filipino singer and television personality.

In 2007, after competing in many singing competitions and several appearances on Filipino television, Zyrus performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the United States. The following year, in 2008, he made several international televised appearances, including a special on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which documented his musical ambitions, home life and family, and featured Zyrus singing for Oprah's studio audience. On that appearance, Zyrus was surprised by one of his singing inspirations, Céline Dion (appearing from her tour via Skype), who invited him to sing with her at New York City's Madison Square Garden, during her 2008 world tour. At the concert, the two sang "Because You Loved Me", dedicating the moment to Zyrus' mother. The performance was eventually replayed on another special episode of Oprah's talk show.

Zyrus then began performing in concerts with David Foster and Andrea Bocelli, among others, and released an album My Inspiration (2009). Zyrus released the studio album Charice in 2010, which entered the Billboard 200 at number eight, making it the first album of an Asian solo singer ever to land in the top 10. The single "Pyramid" from that album, featuring singer Iyaz, is Zyrus' most successful single to date, charting within the top 40 in a number of countries after its debut live performance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Crossing over to acting and television, Zyrus joined the cast of the musical-comedy-drama TV series Glee, later in 2010, as Sunshine Corazon. In 2011, "Before It Explodes", written by Bruno Mars, was released as the lead single from Zyrus' second international studio album, Infinity. Zyrus would release two further albums, Chapter 10 (2013) and Catharsis (2016). Zyrus also made his own concert tours in Asia. Zyrus was one of the four judges of the Philippine version of The X Factor, on ABS-CBN, in 2012.

Zyrus identified as a lesbian from 2013 to 2017. When he came out as a transgender male after having male chest reconstruction and beginning testosterone treatment, he adopted the name Jake Zyrus and discontinued the use of the name Charice.

Relationship History

Zyrus next guested on the April 8, 2008, episode of The Paul O'Grady Show in London, England. The Philippine debut EP Charice was released in May 2008; this mini album, consisting of six songs and six backing tracks, was awarded gold certification in the Philippines in October and reached platinum status in 2009. Zyrus appeared on the May 12, 2008, episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, "World's Smartest Kids", performing Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing". After the show, Oprah Winfrey contacted David Foster to see what the music producer could do for Pempengco.

Zyrus performed with Foster for the first time as one of the entertainers on the May 17, 2008, opening of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut. This was followed by Foster's May 23 tribute concert, Hitman: David Foster and Friends, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, performing a medley of songs from The Bodyguard as well as "And I Am Telling You". A CD/DVD of this concert, including Zyrus' The Bodyguard medley, was released on November 11, 2008. The show was aired several times on PBS and other public television networks starting in December 2008 under the Great Performances banner. One of the singers at the concert was Pempengco's idol, Andrea Bocelli. Bocelli subsequently expressed interest in performing a duet with Zyrus with an invitation to be a guest on his birthday concert "The Cinema Tribute" held on July 20 at the Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico, Tuscany, Italy. Aside from a solo performance, Zyrus sang a duet of "The Prayer" with the tenor in front of more than 8,000 people.

In a guest appearance on the "Dreams Come True" episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show on September 9, 2008, Oprah referred to Zyrus as "The Most Talented Girl in the World". After singing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" with David Foster on piano, Zyrus was surprised by Celine Dion's appearance via satellite, inviting Pempengco to sing a duet with her at New York City's Madison Square Garden as part of Dion's Taking Chances Tour. The duet, on September 15, of "Because You Loved Me", received rave reviews in news outlets including The New York Times, and was eventually featured on September 19 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Zyrus sang at the Feyenoord's Centennial Anniversary in the Netherlands held on September 26, singing the team's anthem, "You'll Never Walk Alone" in front of a crowd of about 50,000 football (soccer) fans Zyrus then performed at the Andre Agassi Grand Slam for Children Benefit Concert at the Wynn Las Vegas casino resort in October. In November, Zyrus and David Foster appeared on Good Morning America to promote Foster's tribute album, Hitman: David Foster and Friends, performing The Bodyguard medley and "I Will Survive".

Current Relationship Status

As covered by reputable entertainment media, Jake Zyrus's current relationship status is a matter of public record where confirmed. For the latest verified updates, see the sources section.

Career Context

Early life

Zyrus was born as Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco in Cabuyao, Laguna province, the Philippines, and was raised by single mother Racquel. To help support the family, Zyrus began to enter singing contests at the age of seven, from town fiestas in various provinces to singing competitions on TV, eventually competing in almost a hundred such contests.

In 2005, Zyrus joined Little Big Star, a talent show in the Philippines loosely patterned after American Idol. Eliminated after the first performance, Zyrus was called back as a wildcard contender and eventually became one of the finalists. Although a consistent top scorer in the final rounds, Zyrus finished the show in third place. After Little Big Star, Zyrus made several appearances on local television shows and commercials, but did not receive wider notice until 2007 when an avid supporter, FalseVoice, started posting a series of Zyrus' performances on YouTube. These videos received over 15 million views, making Zyrus an internet sensation.

2007–2008: Discovery and early work

In June 2007, producers at Ten Songs/Productions, a music publishing company in Sweden, invited Zyrus to record demos after seeing the online videos. Zyrus recorded seven songs, six covers and an original song called "Amazing", and was next invited to the South Korean talent show Star King on October 13, 2007, singing "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and a duet of "A Whole New World" with Kyuhyun from Super Junior.

Having also seen the online videos, Ellen DeGeneres invited Zyrus to appear on her show, his first appearance in the United States, where he performed two songs on the December 19, 2007, episode: "I Will Always Love You" and "And I Am Telling You". Zyrus then made a second appearance on Star King in Korea on December 28 as the "Most Requested Foreign Act", performing Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and singing a duet with Lena Park. In January 2008, Zyrus was invited to Malacañang Palace to perform for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Privacy and Public Image

Like many public figures, Jake Zyrus has balanced a public career with private life. Reporting here sticks to what has been confirmed on the record by the individual or by reputable outlets — not paparazzi speculation.

That boundary matters because Jake Zyrus's fan base is large and highly engaged, which means unverified claims can spread quickly. The approach here is conservative by design: confirmed facts from named sources, clear labeling where information is limited, and no reliance on anonymous gossip. When reputable outlets have not confirmed a detail, this article says so rather than filling the gap with speculation.

Why Jake Zyrus's Love Life Draws Attention

Public interest in Jake Zyrus's relationships follows a familiar pattern for high-profile figures: a combination of on-screen charisma, selective public appearances, and the natural curiosity fans feel about people they admire. Entertainment media covers these stories because readers consistently search for them — which is exactly why verified, responsibly-reported answers matter more than rumor aggregation.

For Jake Zyrus specifically, the career trajectory — from early roles to wider recognition — has kept personal life in the spotlight. Each new project tends to renew interest in the off-screen story, and each public appearance gets parsed for clues. The sections above separate what is actually confirmed from what is merely discussed online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources