For this Mākaha based celebrity, being multi-faceted means having more than one way to shine.
Filipino American influencer Bretman Rock Sacayanan got a glimpse of his future stardom soon after arriving in Hawaiʻi from the Philippines as a child. Right off the plane, the then 8-year-old was swept into a whirlwind of errands: a visit to his new home, a quick detour at the swap meet, enrollment at his new school, and, finally, a run for school supplies. “Girl, when I walked into Walmart and saw the CCTV screen, that was the first time I ever saw myself on TV,” he recalls. “I was in awe. I thought I was in Big Brother, like the world was seeing me.” He preened, posed, and primped, oblivious to the stream of patrons around him—and that his mom had already disappeared down the aisles. Bretman chuckles at the memory. “Honestly, seeing myself on that screen just resonated with me being me. That’s when I knew where I wanted to be and where I belonged.”
Growing up, Bretman recalls that his sunny disposition (“Gay, if you will,” he quips) naturally drew people into his orbit. Living with a large extended family meant there was always someone to play batuhang bola or watch Super Inggo with. His enthusiasm for helping with chores—whether chopping vegetables, feeding the chickens, or preparing guava leaves for his grandmother, an albularyo (Indigenous folk healer), to smudge the house, made him a precocious presence. “I was always so excited, like, oh my god, I have a responsibility,” he says of his eagerness to shine, even in the most mundane tasks.
On Sunday mornings, the young Bretman would attend to his most cherished duty: assisting his grandmother as she prepared for church. He’d help her choose between her three Avon lipstick shades and select her stockings, then watch mesmerized from her fainting couch as she applied her makeup. Not wanting to exclude him from this ritual, she’d swirl blush onto a brush from a compact and then gently tap some powder onto his cheeks. He remembers the surge of delight. “Girl, I walked into church thinking, ‘I’m prettier than these angel statues,’” he says, laughing.
It was during these moments of observing his grandmother transform that Bretman fell in love with the concept of “Woman.” The art of beautifying oneself in preparation for the day resonated with him, sketching out the first malleable lines of his gender-fluid identity. “My grandma knew who I was before I even knew who I was,” Bretman says, noting the absence of formalized two-gender pronouns in Tagalog, his native tongue. “In my language, we don’t have a he or she, it’s siya.” He also explains that he never had to “come out” as queer. His family—and culture—served as the keystone to become unequivocally himself. “He, she, they—I’m all of it!”
Beyond his all-encompassing identity, Bretman’s grandma also foresaw an auspicious future, occasionally sharing what she sensed through dreams, visions, or deep intuition. “She’d tell me, ‘A lot of people will know your name,’” he says, adding that in Tagalog, there isn’t a specific term for ‘famous.’ Being named after two of his father’s favorite ’90s wrestling legends—Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson—was perhaps yet another sign that Bretman was indeed destined for something larger than life.
Since going viral with his social media content as a teenager in 2015, Bretman has amassed a massive fanbase—nearly 19 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. While many influencers are defined by a single niche, Bretman has transcended the beauty content that initially made him famous, evolving into someone who shares all facets of his life. His infectious charm and authenticity have been key to capturing the attention of his doting audience. Once, during a photo shoot, when complimented for his “incandescent” skin—a word he was unfamiliar with—Bretman wasn’t shy about asking for its meaning. Pleased with the definition, he rolled the word around in his mouth with pleasure. When his walk was described as “jaunty,” he upped the pep to his step, fully leaning into his playful side.
He jokes, too, about his evolving “rock” eras. “When I was small, that was like, Bretman Pebble,” he says. Today, he’s in the midst of his Bretman Rock era, where his diverse interests match his diverse audience. Whether showing how to make his favorite matcha drink or sharing his morning-after reveal of sleeping with a silk hair bonnet, his content reflects his humor, relatability, and curiosity. It’s all part of his everadapting narrative of self-exploration and self-celebration—and fans love every moment. Looking ahead, Bretman envisions his future with the same sense of humor and zest for life. “When I’m old, I’ll be Bretman Boulder,” he says, envisioning a life split between Hawaiʻi and the Philippines, one where he eventually scales back content creation to savor the fruits of his labor.
In between filming his Da Baddest Radio podcast and his travel and media engagements, Bretman immerses himself in various projects at home. Landscaping has become a favorite hobby, and he does most of the planting himself.
He exercises, tends to his menagerie of animals, and hangs out with family and close friends. A daily journaling habit offers him insight into his evolution as both an individual and influencer, and he sometimes reflects on his grandma’s early predictions. “She said I was going to be a star,” he muses, forever grateful for how his relationship with her laid the foundation for his self-awareness, self-acceptance, and, ultimately, his self-confidence.
But perhaps, in those early visions, it wasn’t exactly a star his grandmother saw—but the making of something even more brilliant, formed by pressure and time: A diamond.
Follow @bretmanrock on Instagram