Celebs in the grip of denial

A young actor was busted for possession of marijuana two weeks ago. But miracle of miracles! His case has disappeared from police files. His parents reportedly persuaded the arresting officers to keep the arrest hush-hush. I wonder what the price of that "persuasion" was.

Reporters who got wind of the case tried to check with the police but nobody was willing to talk.

Who's this actor? Clue: His gender is suspect.

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"Tuli" won as best picture in last week's Cinemanila film festival. The controversial digital movie from Digital Viva stars Desiree del Valle, Vanna Garcia and Carlo Aquino.

The film's director, Auraeus Solito, also won as best director in the local film category. Direk Solito had been grousing because Viva had cut scenes he considers essential to the movie. He had even asked the producer to strike out his name in the credits. Viva felt some of the scenes had to go because "Tuli" had been given an X rating several times by the MTRCB the day before it was to open.

Direk Solito can seek solace in the fact that he has been given an uncut version of the movie that he can show in such venues as the Cultural Center of the Philippines or the UP theater that are not covered by the MTRCB.

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Jeremy Marquez denies he has something going on with Alessandra de Rossi. He claims they're just friends. "There's really nothing. Ask Alessandra," Jeremy said when I interviewed him in Davao City the other week. As far as he's concerned, he went on, his career is his priority.

That's not what I hear from the grapevine though. Some columnists had even written that Alessandra's mom has given her stamp of approval to Jeremy. So why doesn't Joey Marquez's son come out with the truth?

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Another celeb in the grip of denial is Aiko Melendez. She insists she and Martin Jackaine have not tied the knot, although she did admit they're on. Aiko says they were in Boracay because she needed rest after that traumatic incident between her and the group of Happy Ongpauco.

Word spread last week that the two were married in a hastily set up ceremony at the poolside of the Boracay Fairways and Blue Water Resort Golf and Country Club last Tuesday.

The ceremony was officiated reportedly by Malay, Aklan Mayor Ceciron Cawiling. According to a source, there were only ten guests, six of them came from Manila.

Mr. Reagan Dy is said to have arranged the wedding. Bells and Balloon was the wedding planner. Martin supposedly chose the flowers. Members of the local press rushed to the resort to check but security guards stopped them at the gate, the source said.

Last Sunday at S Files it was Martin's turn to deny his relationship with Aiko. He only admitted she makes him happy and that he loves her. Is he covering up for the sake of Vanna Garcia, his girlfriend of three years? Just a month ago, Martin texted Vanna telling him it's all over between them. No explanation.

Vanna says she has accepted the break-up but she was still shocked when she learned about the Martin-Aiko relationship on television. I tried to confirm this with Vanna, but she refused to comment.

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Sylvester Stallone is 59, but age isn't stopping him from reprising his role as rags-to-riches boxing champion in a sixth "Rocky" movie. The Rocky series catapulted Stallone to fame 30 years ago, and he must feel he can still make a box-office winner out of it.

The film is titled "Rocky Balboa," and Stallone will direct, write and co-produce it. As you might have guessed he will play an aging boxer who is compelled to climb up the ring one more time following the death of his wife, who had been played in the previous Rocky movies by Talia Shire.

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Another Hollywood legend, Clint Eastwood will make two new movies about the battle during World War II for Iwo Jima, a small island in the middle of the Pacific. What make the project unique is that each movie will represent a different point of view - one from the US and the other from the Japanese.

The film is titled "Flags of Our Fathers." The two versions will be released simultaneously late next year.

Eastwood proved he still got it after "Million Dollar Baby" took major prizes at this year's Oscars, including best picture, best director for Eastwood, best actress for Hilary Swank and best supporting actor for Morgan Freeman.

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In case you don't know it yet, there is a new James Bond. He is Daniel Craig, a 37-year-old blond, blue-eyed Englishman. Craig takes over the persona of the playboy spy from Irishman Pierce Brosnan. Craig will debut as Agent 007 in "Casino Royale," based on the first Bond book written by Ian Fleming.

Among the other ex-Bonds are Sean Connery and Roger Moore.