Age is just a number, and hunky Ecuadorian model, telenovela star, and environmental advocate Roberto Manrique is living proof!
You may have seen him in the series “Fathers and Sons”, “That’s life” and “Killer Women”, and in countless advertising campaigns. Roberto may be most well-known for the role of Sebastian Villanueva in the telenovela “Victoria” at Telemundo.
As of writing, Roberto, who has 3.8 million followers on Instagram, has been giving fans a peek into his life since coming out in 2021.
The 45-year-old came out publicly in 2021 by sharing his story on his Instagram account. At the beginning, Enrique shared that he didn’t feel the need to come out since his loved ones had already known about his sexuality. He said, “Even though I don’t feel like I’ve been living in the closet for the past 20 years, I don’t feel like this is coming out of the closet because my wonderful family knows, they are the best people in the world. When I work on any project, all my circles know, all my friends know. If I meet new people, I tell them. My fans know.”
However, Manrique felt that there was something missing and that he was not able to fully be himself. He soon figured out what he wanted to do, and that was to come out of the closet publicly to fulfill his younger self’s dream and to serve as a voice to anyone who shares the same story.
“I’m making this video, to say this to my inner child, and to anyone else who might hear this and feel they have something to feel guilty about.”
Manrique felt that there was a roadblock in his life, but he eventually figured out what was missing. He explains, “It turns out I was missing a little bit to go one step further. Maybe this has to do with it, maybe it doesn’t, but I’m not going to stay with the doubt, so that’s why I’m making this video.”
“I think that’s the core of my message. Let’s let go of guilt; there’s no reason for it, and we tend to live in societies that make us feel guilty for everything all the time.”
Manrique previously had a long-term relationship with fellow Ecuadorian Oliver Ranft. Unfortunately, the couple called it quits in 2023 after 8 years together. On a positive note, the former couple still get along well and are co-parenting their four-legged baby.
Here’s a little reminder from Manrique to live life to the fullest:
“Repeat after me…
I Love Myself As I Am.
Very good, now never stop.
Love U”
Through all of this, Roberto Manrique continues to shine brightly, proving that being true to oneself is the ultimate key to happiness.