Melissa Bulanhagui took an unusual route through professional sport. The Filipino-American figure skater competed internationally for the United States before switching allegiances and representing the Philippines, where she became a two-time national champion. Years after leaving competitive skating behind, she entered the adult film industry under the name Jada Kai.
Born in Philadelphia on August 16, 1990, to Filipino parents, Bulanhagui began skating in 1996. She represented the United States at international competitions until 2010 and continued competing at US national level through 2011.
Her American skating career included a bronze medal in the junior women’s event at the 2006 US Championships. In 2008, she won the ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Merano, Italy, before taking bronze at the 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany.
In 2011, Bulanhagui made the decision to skate for the Philippines, the country where both of her parents were born. She described the move as a way of honouring them. “Skating for the Philippines, it is my chance to compete for them,” she said in an interview that October.
The switch came with financial difficulties. Despite the problems she said she encountered, Bulanhagui went on to win the Philippine national championship in 2012 and 2013. She also collected bronze at the 2013 Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy in Bangkok and represented the Philippines at the Four Continents Championships in 2013 and 2015.
The 2015 Four Continents Championships in Seoul was one of the final major competitions of her skating career. According to official ISU results, Bulanhagui finished 15th with 126.32 points, one place ahead of fellow Philippine skater Alisson Krystle Perticheto.
By 2013, Bulanhagui was openly discussing what she described as a lack of support while representing the Philippines. She was particularly frustrated after not being selected for the Olympic qualifying event, arguing that her two national titles had already demonstrated her credentials.
“I came here from Team USA to compete as a Filipino national, hoping to prove that I was the best in the country and I did that twice,” she said.
She also raised concerns about the effect those issues could have on younger athletes. “I have so much love for the sport but if they can do it to me, the more they can do it to the kids who spent so much time and effort,” she said.
Several years after ending her skating career, Bulanhagui entered the adult entertainment industry under the name Jada Kai. Sources documenting her career place the move into professional adult film in 2019. Her transition was later discussed on the Talk, Naked podcast, which introduced Kai as former international figure skater Melissa Carmen Bulanhagui in a January 2021 episode.
The two chapters of her life have sometimes been presented as though one led directly to the other. The available evidence does not establish that connection. Bulanhagui’s complaints about funding and support came during her skating career, while her move into adult entertainment happened years after she had left competitive skating.
Before becoming Jada Kai, Bulanhagui had already put together a career spanning two national teams, an ISU Junior Grand Prix victory, two Philippine national titles and appearances at the Four Continents Championships. Her decision to represent the Philippines was also rooted in her family, while her later career in adult entertainment became a separate and very different part of her public life.
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Last modified: September 21, 2026
