Lolit Solis Dies at 78—'I Feel Complete and Grateful to My God'

Veteran talk show host, entertainment columnist, and talent manager Lolit Solis passed away on Thursday, July 3. This was confirmed by her close friend Salve Asia via a social media post. Solis celebrated her 78th birthday on May 20, 2025.

Just days before her passing, the sharp-tongued and unapologetic talent manager opened up on Instagram about her growing exhaustion, and expressed peace with the idea of letting go. “I am very thankful pero admitted ko na medyo pagod na ako,” she admitted. “I have so many things to be thankful for, parang para sa akin tama na ang journey ko sa buhay. Been there, done that, I feel complete and grateful to my GOD. So if I will leave now, no regrets. Life was good to me, people are nice, things worked mostly in my favors, what more can I asked (sic)?

On Tuesday, she offered heartfelt thanks to everyone who had been part of her life, extended apologies to those she wronged, and requested to be remembered with fondness. “I love all of you. And thank You, my God.”

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Solis was a complex and colorful figure in Philippine showbiz. She started her career in the late 1960s and became known as a no-holds-barred entertainment writer. She eventually co-hosted popular showbiz talk shows such as Startalk alongside Boy Abunda, Kris Aquino, and Joey de Leon; Show & Tell with Abunda, Gretchen Barretto, and Ai-Ai delas Alas; and a few others both on TV and radio. She was unafraid to criticize celebrities, call out hypocrisy, or stir controversy—traits that earned her both admiration and backlash.

Solis helped shape the careers of Gabby Concepcion, Ruffa Gutierrez, Nanette Medved, Rudy Fernandez, Lorna Tolentino, Bong Revilla, Christopher de Leon, Amy Austria, Sandy Andolong, Tonton Gutierrez, Glydel Mercado, Paolo Contis, Benjie Paras, among others.

Solis was a central figure in the infamous 1994 Manila Film Festival (MMF) scandal, where Concepcion and Gutierrez were wrongly announced as Best Actor and Actress for Loretta. The true winners were Edu Manzano (Zacarias) and Aiko Melendez (Maalaala Mo Kaya: The Movie), which Mayor Alfredo Lim later corrected. Solis, then the talent coordinator and manager of Concepcion, admitted to masterminding the scam. Despite controversies, she remains a respected and influential voice in Philippine showbiz.

Former Senator Bong Revilla mourns the passing of Solis, expressing gratitude for someone he considered not just a mentor, but family. "Paalam Nanay Lolit. Pahinga ka na. Wala nang sakit; wala nang hirap. Sobra kitang mami-miss. Maraming salamat sa pagmamahal at pagkalinga. You have been a solid rock for me, a staunch defender, and most importantly - a mother who took care of me and my family up to your last days with us. Napakalaki mong kawalan sa napakaraming taong nahaplos ng iyong pagmamahal, gayundin sa industriya to which you dedicated your entire life. Ang aming taus-pusong pakikiramay sa lahat ng iyong naiwan. Lahat kami ay nagluluksa. Mahal na mahal ka namin," he wrote on Facebook. 

Solis has candidly chronicled on Instagram her ongoing battle with kidney disease and dialysis since mid-2022, where she also shared her reflections about life. But in true Lolit Solis fashion, she still injected that wit, humor, and shares chismis about celebrities, showbiz intrigues, and even her own past misadventures—proving that not even illness could dull her trademark sass.