Image courtesy of www.news.abs-cbn.com
At the virtual launch of her comeback movie “Deception” Monday, Claudine Barretto took all sorts of questions ranging from issues pertaining to her personal and career struggles.
Barretto swung from funny to pensive to grateful as she bared her soul on issues like her lack of closure in her breakup with ex boyfriend and first love Mark Anthony Fernandez ( “Ako ata ang nag-ghost sa kanya noon!”), missing her late father Miguel Barretto, and doubting her self-worth during her semi-retirement years.
She was also asked about the supposed dimming star of her estranged niece, Julia Barretto. The question from the phone-in portion of the press gallery was not really welcome and host Aster Amoyo said so as she read it, but Barretto still answered it head-on after comparing the situation of young stars in the '90s and the present time.
“Alam naman ng lahat na masama ang loob ko kay Julia,” she began, correcting the term “pabagsak na” in the question. “Pagkakaintindi ko kasi she’s not just given the right projects. Even if wala pang tsismis kay Julia nun ...we were all just waiting for the good project to come to her. Kasi ang problema ang dami nila, may Jadine, Kathniel, Lizquen, Joshua, ngayon Jurald... I’m just waiting.”
In her clincher, Barretto added, “Medyo nega nasusulat sa pamangkin ko pero at the end of the day, pamangkin ko pa rin yon, e!"
“'Di ako naniniwala na babagsak," she stressed, drawing parallels to her life story. “Kasi sa akin nangyari na 'yan, ilang beses na, lalo na nung rebellious days ko. Si Julia hindi bumagsak, naging nega lang siya. We just need a good project for her because dugong Barretto 'yan, magaling at may dugo din ni Dennis Padilla yan, magaling din!”
The younger Barretto is now under the management of Viva Entertainment, one of the producers of Claudine’s comeback movie under the direction of Joel Lamangan.