Heart on Marian issue: I'm the victim

Heart Evangelista has decided to speak up on the issue haunting her and Temptation Island co-star Marian Rivera. Is there really a rift between the two actresses? After being a victim of malicious accusations stemming from the reported conflict with Marian, Heart decided to bare everything in a press conference today at Barrio Fiesta Greenhills.

Heart Evangelista speaking at today's press conference

“I wanted to settle this issue privately, pero kailangan ko nang i-defend ang sarili ko. The false and mean things that have been reported about me in the media and online have damaged my reputation. I have even received death threats from the fans of Marian Rivera. I am traumatized and very scared. Once and for all, I want to share the truth about what happened in Ilocos,” Heart said.

Possible legal actions

“As counsel for Ms. Heart Evangelista, I wish to correct certain disinformation that has been spread to the detriment of my client,” Heart’s lawyer Atty. Archimedes Gonzalez said.

“First, my client has been portrayed as the assailant. This is false. She was not the assailant but the assailed. She was not the offender but the victim,” he continued.

Gonzales further denied allegations that Heart’s mother brought 15 policemen to the airport. He said that Mrs. Ongpaoco was only accompanied by two NAIA employees.

Gonzalez said that as a result of these false and exaggerated allegations, four of Heart’s commercial endorsements were put on hold and one TV project was shelved as of the moment.

“My client’s adversaries, may not only have committed the crimes of libel and grave threats, but have also caused my client to incur damages in an amount that we will specify in a civil case that our law firm is still studying,” he added.

Confrontation with Marian

Heart said that Marian has verbally abused and threatened her inside her room at the shooting of their movie “Temptation Island.” Marian barged into Heart’s hotel room twice to confront the young actress.

“She confronted me twice in my hotel room. Nagulat po ako na galit na galit sya, at sinigawan nya ako. Takot na takot ako. I started to cry,” an emotional Heart narrated.

It seems that Marian took in a different way Heart’s previous comment in an interview that she is excited to work with Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera’s boyfriend.

“The director advised me to call my mom after the confrontation. I did that, but that still did not stop the second incident from happening,” Heart said.

Heart was referring to the second time Marian barged into her hotel room. Heart said that Marian wanted Heart not to tell anybody about the first confrontation. Heart said that Marian even wants to talk to her mother.

Grave threats received

Heart confirmed that she is receiving grave threats from anonymous people, most likely to be believed as fans of Marian Rivera. According to Heart, she receives death threats and other grave threats such as throwing acid on her face.

Heart also revealed that Marian Rivera threatened her that Marian’s fans would kill her following this incident:

“Sinabi lang po niya (Marian) sa akin na isang text lang po niya sa fans niya, papatayin nila ako,” she recounted.

“Katulad ng ibang [pauses] hmm, siguro in the past, kawawa daw kasi umiyak sila kasi pinapahiya ng fans (niya).”

Gonzalez appealed to the media to hear both sides of the issue. He said that they obeyed Heart’s home networks request to keep mum on the issue but they held this press conference in response to the “other actress’” statements.

“My client has remained silent until now in obedience to the request of her home network not to speak publicly about the issue. However, the other actress spoke about the issue in an earlier press conference for a movie. Therefore, in self-defense, my client is forced to hold this press conference to air her side. Please help us obtain justice in this forum. My client and I hope that after this, it will not be necessary to seek recourse in the courts,” he said.