Laurel is the granddaughter of former Vice President, the late Salvador Laurel and her grandmother Celia Díaz, and the great-granddaughter of former Philippine President, the late Jose P. Laurel. She is the youngest daughter of David D. Laurel. She has a son named Alejandro born in 2011. Laurel became engaged to professional basketball playerSol Mercado in March 2014. However, on October 20, 2016, Laurel announced through her Instagram account that they have ended their relationship.
Career
Laurel was discovered by Johnny Manahan in a play produced by Repertory Philippines. Luckily, she was given a break to be part of Ang TV 2, then she played as Ina Raymundo's daughter in Pangako Sa ‘Yo. She then made a name in Singapore when she was part of MTV Asia'sRouge, which was shown all over Asia. Among the many who auditioned, she stood out and got the role of a smart lead vocalist named Pat. At the age of 16, her experience in working with other nationalities has taught her things that helped her improve her craft. After a season in Rouge, Denise decided to concentrate on her local showbiz career. After her return to the Philippines, she was part of the teen-oriented show Click, TAPE Inc.'s Walang Hanggan and Leya, and two telefantasyas Mulawin and Encantadia. She went back to ABS-CBN. Laurel starred on Abt Ur Luv, and in the fifth season of Komiks, where she plays an Engkantao. In 2008, ABS-CBN started the Precious Hearts Romances Presents series in which Laurel is prominently featured. Thus far, she has starred in four of the series' adaptation: Bud Brothers, You're Mine, Only Mine, Midnight Phantom and Kristine. She started getting recognition when she did the series, most notably in Midnight Phantom and Kristine opposite her good friend Rafael Rosell. Her team-up with Rosell has been a hit with the viewers, thus they were teamed up again in Dahil Sa Pag-ibig. After Dahil Sa Pag-ibig, Laurel starred on her fifth PHR series entitled Pintada, where she played a teacher with a mysterious past. cl In 2013, Laurel played an antagonist role in the last PHR series Paraiso, and later became part of the pre-primetime family drama series Annaliza that was aired until March 2014 who portrays Isabel. She starred in the afternoon melodrama series Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita in 2015. The said series was set to replace Faith in the first quarter of the year on primetime, but it instead was an afternoon program. On the same year after NKNKK, Laurel auditioned to an ABS-CBN show Your FaceSounds Familiar which was titled as the second YFSF KaFace/Grand Winner.
