The Zild Benitez issue refers to a series of overlapping controversies that surfaced between late 2023 and early 2025, involving cheating allegations, a viral concert incident, and the Filipino musician’s relationships with artist Suyen Pintor and BINI member Maloi Ricalde. The situation escalated in March 2025 when Reddit threads and TikTok videos compiled evidence suggesting Zild had been unfaithful to Suyen while pursuing a relationship with Maloi.

What makes this more than standard celebrity gossip is the layered nature of the allegations. They span a Bobapalooza performance where Zild projected celebrity breakup photos on screen, a history of relationship drama dating back to his ex-girlfriend Shanne Dandan, and claims that he hired a domestic abuser for a music video shoot. Each layer added fuel to a story that, by March 2025, had become one of the most-discussed OPM controversies on Filipino social media.

This article consolidates verified facts from Philstar.com, Reddit compilation threads, and Radar.ph reporting, separating confirmed information from unverified claims.

Who Is Zild Benitez?

Zild Benitez (Daniel Zildjian Garon Benitez, born April 23, 1997) is the frontman of IV of Spades, a four-album solo artist under Balcony Entertainment, and one of the most prominent OPM musicians of his generation. His massive fanbase and candid online persona are exactly why the Zild cheating controversy generated such disproportionate attention.

IV of Spades and the Rise to Stardom

IV of Spades formed in 2014 and broke through with their retro-funk sound around 2016-2017. “Mundo” became a genuine cultural phenomenon in the Philippines — not just a hit, but the song that made an entire generation pay attention to live-band OPM again. When original lead vocalist Unique Salonga departed in 2018, Zild stepped into the frontman role full-time. That move shaped everything that followed.

The band released their debut album ClapClapClap! on January 18, 2019, featuring hits like “Come Inside of My Heart.” They went on indefinite hiatus in 2020, reuniting in 2025 with Salonga’s return and releasing the comeback album Andalucia on November 5, 2025 through Sony Music Philippines.

Solo Career and Musical Output

During the hiatus, Zild signed with Rico Blanco’s Balcony Entertainment and launched a prolific solo career. His four studio albums reflect a wide sonic range:

His song “I.N.A.S.” won Alternative Song of the Year at the 2025 Filipino Music Awards. The album Superpower is directly relevant to the controversy — it features the track “Lia,” widely understood to be written about Suyen Pintor (Lia is Suyen’s second name).

The Zild Benitez Issue Explained: What Actually Happened

The Zild Benitez scandal is a chain of overlapping controversies — not one incident — spanning December 2023 to April 2025. The core allegation: Zild cheated on girlfriend Suyen Pintor with BINI’s Maloi Ricalde. But the full picture involves an earlier breakup with singer Shanne Dandan, a viral Bobapalooza stunt, and claims he hired a domestic abuser for a music video. Each piece compounds the next.

The Shanne Dandan Chapter (Pre-2023)

Before the current controversy, Zild was in a long-term relationship with singer Shanne Dandan, reportedly dating from around 2015. Their split became public knowledge in late 2023, with a Reddit thread on r/ChikaPH (October 2023) questioning whether cheating was involved. Shanne herself stated they “simply grew apart,” offering no confirmation of infidelity.

A separate December 2023 Reddit post alleged that Zild hired a known domestic abuser to photograph behind-the-scenes footage for his “Dasal/Kasal” music video. The post included screenshots naming the individual and showing credits from the video production. This claim has not been addressed publicly by Zild or his management.

The Bobapalooza Incident (February 2024)

On February 25, 2024, Zild appeared as a surprise act alongside IV of Spades bandmate Blaster Silonga at the Bobapalooza Music and Arts Festival, held at Filinvest City Event Grounds. During his performance of “Dasal/Kasal,” he projected photos of six recently separated Filipino celebrity couples on the screen behind him:

• Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla
• Jericho Rosales and Kim Jones
• Kim Chiu and Xian Lim
• Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati
• Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque
• Miles Ocampo and Elijah Canlas

This was reported by Philstar.com on March 2, 2024, with concert footage circulating widely on TikTok and X (Twitter). While the stunt was received as provocative entertainment by some, others saw it as a pattern — an artist willing to make public spectacles out of other people’s private breakups, even as his own relationships were generating questions.

The Suyen Relationship and “Lia” Connection

Confirmed by multiple sources including r/opm threads and Genius artist profiles: Zild dated Juliana Suyen Pintor, a solo artist and part-time guitarist in his live band. Suyen released her debut single “Sonic Tonic” in August 2023 and her album Suyen Imnida on Valentine’s Day 2025.

The clearest evidence of the relationship is musical. Zild’s track “Lia” on Superpower (2024) is named after Suyen’s second name, and the song became a recurring emotional throughline on the album. Fans noted that during later live performances, Zild changed the lyric “hawak mo pulang gitara” (you hold a red guitar) to “hawak mo mga gitara” (you hold guitars) — a detail widely interpreted as a sign the relationship had ended.

The Maloi Ricalde Connection (Early 2025)

This is where the Maloi Zild relationship speculation ignited. Maloi Ricalde (born May 27, 2002) is the main vocalist of BINI, arguably the biggest P-pop girl group in the Philippines right now. Starting in early 2025, fans documented a growing list of sightings and social media interactions between Zild and Maloi, as reported by Radar.ph (January 2026):

Neither Zild nor Maloi has confirmed a romantic relationship. Maloi previously dismissed similar speculation about another artist (Rico Blanco) as “fake news,” clarifying they were simply friends.

The Cheating Allegations: Full Timeline

The Zild cheating allegations center on one claim: that he started seeing Maloi Ricalde while still in a relationship with Suyen Pintor. The claim went from whisper to wildfire in a single week of late March 2025, when Reddit threads and TikTok compilations stitched together sightings, social media clues, and circumstantial evidence into a cohesive — if unconfirmed — narrative. No party has confirmed the allegation as of March 2026.

The March 2025 Social Media Explosion

The timeline accelerated rapidly across a single week:

The April 2 compilation post on r/ChikaPH became the single most referenced source for the entire controversy. It included the cheating allegations, the domestic abuser claims from the “Dasal/Kasal” video, and newly surfaced screenshots of Suyen’s private account (“lamesuyen”) containing offensive comments about NewJeans member Lee Hyein made in 2022, when Hyein was 14 and Suyen was 18.

Suyen’s Response and TikTok Activity

Suyen never posted a written statement. She did not need to — or rather, her TikTok told the story for her, at least in the eyes of fans watching closely. During the peak of the March 2025 explosion, Suyen’s TikTok reposts leaned heavily into themes of betrayal, heartbreak, and emotional pain. None named Zild directly. All were interpreted as coded confirmation by a fanbase primed to connect dots.

Was it actual confirmation? Impossible to say. Reading someone’s TikTok repost history as evidence of infidelity is a slippery exercise, and multiple Reddit commenters cautioned against exactly that. But the timing — mid-controversy, while new evidence was being posted daily — made it difficult for observers to treat the activity as coincidence.

What Remains Unconfirmed

Several central claims in the Zild Benitez issue remain unverified as of March 2026:

• Whether Zild and Maloi are or were romantically involved — neither party has confirmed this
• Whether the timeline overlapped with Suyen’s relationship — the “cheating” framing depends on when exactly each relationship started and ended
• The domestic abuser allegation — based on Reddit screenshots that have not been independently verified by any news outlet
• The authenticity of Suyen’s alleged private account — the “lamesuyen” screenshots were attributed to her but the account is now deactivated

Has Zild Benitez Responded?

Zild Benitez has not issued any public statement addressing the cheating allegations, the Suyen breakup, or the Maloi rumors — and neither has Balcony Entertainment, his management label. As of March 2026, complete silence. In Philippine showbiz, where controversies usually get addressed within days via management statements or Instagram Lives, that silence has itself become the story.

Zild’s social media activity after the March 2025 explosion continued to focus on music-related content. Fans tracked reports of posts being uploaded and then deleted on his X (Twitter) account in the days following the controversy, though the content and context of those deleted posts remain disputed.

Maloi Ricalde has likewise not addressed the Zild-related rumors directly. According to Radar.ph’s January 2026 report, her only precedent for responding to relationship speculation was dismissing the earlier Rico Blanco link-up as “fake news.”

Impact on Zild’s Career and Reputation

The IV of Spades Zild controversy has split his audience into two camps, but it has not derailed his professional trajectory. The 2025 Filipino Music Award for “I.N.A.S.” and IV of Spades’ sold-out SM Mall of Asia Arena concerts in December 2025 prove the music still draws. Andalucia, the comeback album, performed well commercially.

But open any comment section under Zild’s posts and the split is obvious. The allegations come up constantly. Reddit threads about the cheating controversy still rank on the first page of Google results for his name. For an artist who built his entire brand on being candid and approachable online, the refusal to say anything about the biggest personal story of his career reads, to many fans, as an answer in itself. Whether that perception is fair depends on your read of the evidence — but it shapes how the Zild Benitez issue continues to play out in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Zild Benitez issue about?

The Zild Benitez issue is a series of controversies centered on allegations that the IV of Spades frontman cheated on his girlfriend, artist Suyen Pintor, with BINI member Maloi Ricalde. The broader issue also includes a provocative Bobapalooza 2024 performance, claims he hired a domestic abuser for a music video, and his unaddressed breakup with ex-girlfriend Shanne Dandan.

Who is Suyen and what is her connection to Zild?

Suyen (Juliana Suyen Pintor) is a Filipino singer-songwriter who served as a part-time guitarist in Zild’s live band. They were in a confirmed romantic relationship — Zild named the track “Lia” on his 2024 album Superpower after Suyen’s second name. The cheating allegation claims Zild began seeing Maloi while still involved with Suyen.

Who is Maloi and what is her role in the controversy?

Maloi Ricalde (born May 27, 2002) is the main vocalist of BINI, one of the biggest P-pop girl groups in the Philippines. She is the person Zild has been romantically linked to starting in early 2025. Fan-documented sightings — matching bracelets, shared trips, Instagram Story appearances — fueled speculation that she and Zild are dating, though neither has confirmed this.

Did Zild cheat on Suyen with Maloi?

This is the central allegation but it has not been confirmed by any of the three parties involved. The claim is based on circumstantial evidence: the apparent timeline overlap between Zild’s relationship with Suyen and his public closeness with Maloi. Suyen’s coded TikTok activity was interpreted by fans as supporting the allegation, but she has not explicitly stated she was cheated on.

What happened at Bobapalooza with Zild Benitez?

On February 25, 2024, during his performance of “Dasal/Kasal” at the Bobapalooza Music and Arts Festival, Zild projected photos of six recently separated Filipino celebrity couples on stage. Philstar.com reported the incident, which went viral on TikTok and X. The couples included Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, Jericho Rosales and Kim Jones, and four others.

Has Zild Benitez addressed the controversy?

No. As of March 2026, neither Zild Benitez nor his management at Balcony Entertainment has issued any statement regarding the cheating allegations, the Suyen situation, or the Maloi connection. His silence has become a talking point among fans and commentators.

Is Zild still active musically despite the controversy?

Yes. IV of Spades reunited in 2025 and released their comeback album Andalucia (November 5, 2025) through Sony Music Philippines. Zild also won Alternative Song of the Year at the 2025 Filipino Music Awards for “I.N.A.S.” His professional career has continued alongside the unresolved personal controversies.