Gandanghari enjoyed success in Philippine films in the early 1990s (as "Rustom Padilla"), before taking a hiatus in 2001.
She returned to prominence in 2006 when she joined the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition where she came out as a gay male after 44 days.
After her hosting stint, Gandanghari left the Philippines and studied film making in the United States.
In 2009, Gandanghari hosted the National Kidlat Awards on the resort island of Boracay in Malay, Aklan.
[7] Prior to her public gender transition, Padilla married actress Carmina Villarroel in June 24, 1998 in a civil ceremony in Parañaque.
[10][11] Her brother Robin Padilla at first fully accepted the decision, but later recanted his earlier statements and admitted that he was still shocked and not on good terms with her.
[citation needed] The Superior Court of California in Orange County approved both her legal name and gender in 2016.