Gabbi Garcia

Gabriella Louise Ortega Lopez was born in Makati, Philippines, to parents Vince Pena Lopez, a security manager, and Tes Lopez, a flight attendant. She is the second child in the family. She spent her childhood in the family's ancestral home in Pasay. She graduated high school from St. Paul College, Pasig.^[5]

In her teenage years, she was a member of the school choir, dance troop, and cheering squad. She also won in a few beauty pageants before auditioning for GMA Artist Center.^[5]

Garcia began working in commercials and joining singing competitions. She made her television acting debut in 2014 as one of the young lead stars in GMA Network's primetime series My Destiny.^[6] For a few years, she was credited as Gabrielle Garcia.^[7]

She was later paired with Ruru Madrid in a loveteam, and together, they headlined various projects such as the teledrama Let the Love Begin, the political sitcom Naku, Boss Ko!, and the 2016 remake of the fantasy series Encantadia. In Encantadia, Garcia portrayed the breakout role of Sang'gre Alena, originally played by Karylle, elevating her and her co-stars' celebrity status.

The loveteam continued to collaborate in another television drama, Sherlock Jr., but in 2018, Garcia's protagonist character unexpectedly died in the middle of the series,^[8] marking the end of Garcia and Madrid's onscreen loveteam.^[9]

At the same year, Garcia starred in her first television drama outside the former loveteam through Pamilya Roces with Gloria Diaz and Carla Abellana. In 2019, she starred in the revenge drama series Beautiful Justice with Bea Binene and Yasmien Kurdi.^[10]

Garcia has since stated that she prefers a variety of leading men as opposed to a single long-term "love team."^[11] In the promotions for LSS (Last Song Syndrome), a movie in which her leading man is played by her real-life boyfriend Khalil Ramos, she and Ramos have refused to call themselves a love team.^[12]

In 2023, Garcia joined the cast of the romantic drama series Unbreak My Heart alongside Jodi Sta. Maria, Richard Yap and Joshua Garcia.^[13]

Gabbi is hosting Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition alongside Mavy Legaspi, Bianca Gonzalez, Robi Domingo, Melai Cantiveros, Enchong Dee, Kim Chiu, and Alexa Ilacad. She took part in Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition. Gabbi reflected on her experience, spending four days inside the house. “May pa impromptu skit, may pa dogshow hosting, kumain ng lahat ng klaseng luto ng gulay at white rice, nagtiyaga sa isang itlog per day, inulam ang chichirya, maraming tawanan, chikahan, at heartfelt iyakan (transl: There was an impromptu skit, dogshow hosting, eating all kinds of vegetable dishes and white rice, persevering with one egg per day, eating a chichirya as a viand, lots of laughter, teasing, and heartfelt crying.),” she said.

Gabbi played the character of Amelie Baltazar in GMA's first Viu original murder mystery series Slay, alongside Julie Anne San Jose, Mikee Quintos, Ysabel Ortega and Derrick Monasterio.^[14] She also starred in the Netflix original digital series How to Cheat Death with her real-life boyfriend Khalil Ramos.^[15]

Garcia previously dated actor and former onscreen partner Ruru Madrid in 2014.^[19] She is currently in a relationship with actor and singer Khalil Ramos since 2017.^[20]

In 2018, Garcia was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome.^[21]