A chance encounter leads to reconciliation

The family feud is all over between former estranged Barretto sisters who kissed and made up after an emotional chance meeting. "I shall put the past behind me. Life is too short to put to waste," says Gretchen Barretto. It took quite a while but sisters Gretchen and Claudine Barretto finally made up last Monday.

At first, Claudine was hesitant to divulge details of the reconciliation. But at the presscon for "Walang Kapalit", her teleserye with Piolo Pascual, she gave reporters some tidbits to chew on.

She said she and her ate bumped into each other at the S&R Supermarket at The Fort. She said it was an emotional encounter, and in the end they buried the hatchet and embraced each other.

That was about all that we could extract from her. She said it was better for everyone if she and Gretchen keep the story to themselves for the meantime.

Tita Nora Calderon got Gretchen to confirm the reconciliation. "Yes, it''s true that all is well. Claud will always be my baby sister, through the not so good and good times. I will remember only her good and loving ways. I shall put the past behind me. That goes for Marjorie as well. Life is too short to put to waste."

Even Dennis Padilla was profusely contrite and has asked Gretchen''s forgiveness for the nasty episode. Dennis had accompanied his daughter Julia to the presscon of "Walang Kapalit." In the series, Julia is playing the young Claudine.

"I want to say sorry to Gretchen for what I had said or did wrong. I''m sorry, Gretchen. Forgive me and let''s forgive all the hatred and anger. Let''s restore love," Dennis said.

It was the first time Dennis had gotten emotional about the feud, and hinted that some showbiz writers had exaggerated it. "When some people began writing about it, what was a worm grew into a snake. But it was a very very small misunderstanding, actually," he said.

But get this: Dennis claims that his wife Marjorie had no idea he had apologized to Gretchen. "I don''t know what her reaction will be, if she''s gonna get angry or happy. All I know is she''s very tired because of the campaign." Marj is running for councilor in Caloocan. o0o

I was quite impressed with the trailer of the movie "Rumbleboys." The special effects were just great! You wouldn''t imagine that the film was locally produced. It looks like the time Derick Dee spent in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong and China really paid off. He visited those countries to get a first-hand look at the latest techniques in making action films.

Actually, "Rumbleboys" was already being shot under the direction of Ronnie Rickets. But Derrick must have realized that a simple action movie with the usual gunplay and fight sequences won''t produce the desired impact. So he decided to observe and learn from the masters.

"I found that the approach to making action films here hasn''t changed. What is needed is something different, something that would hold the viewer''s attention."

He hasn''t produced a movie for so long it took quite a while for him to remember his last project. It turned out it was "Anak ni Baby Tsino."

Derick, in case you have forgotten, is the ex-husband of Melanie Marquez. They have two kids. o0o

A court in the Bahamas has ruled that celebrity photographer Larry Birkhead has been declared to be "99.9999" percent certain to be the biological father of Dannielynn, the seven-month-old daughter of late model Anna Nicole Smith.

The ruling ended a months-long paternity battle over Dannielynn, who could be considered as a million-dollar baby.

She could inherit a fortune if lawyers for Smith''s estate are able to obtain a slice of the fortune belonging to her late ex-husband, billionaire Howard Marshall.

No wonder Birkhead was jubilant upon hearing the court''s decision. "I hate to be the one who told you this - but I told you so!" he told reporters. "My baby''s going to be coming home."

Two other men claimed to be Dannielyn''s dad: Anna Nicole''s long-time companion and lawyer, Howard Stern, and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor''s husband Frederic van Anhalt.

Stern was the gracious loser, saying he would help Birkhead gain full custody of the baby. The two even hugged each other outside the courthouse.

Anna Nicole''s mother, Virgie Arthur, will reportedly seek custody of Dannielyn. Anna Nicole died of "accidental drug overdose" in February.