Is the young actress a battered girlfriend?

I look at the lovely face of the young actress on TV and I feel a lump in my throat.

Could it be true that she is the battered girlfriend of a young actor?

At first, I couldn’t believe the story because the actress looks so sweet and so untouched by cruel/violent hands while the actor projects a wholesome (should I say, "harmless"?) image, as if incapable of hurting even a fly.

"In public," said the Funfare DPA who knows the young couple very well, "they seem to be an ideal loveteam, ever smiling and exchanging sticky, loving glances. But in private, the boy can make a 360-degree turn and become violent."

Why is the DPA, well, spilling the beans?

"Somebody should knock some sense into the young actor’s head," explained the concerned DPA. "He should realize the fact that what he’s doing to his poor girlfriend in private is being whispered about already. If he knows that the media is aware of his violent tendency, maybe he’ll change and learn to control himself – and take pity on his girlfriend (said to be once a victim of domestic violence)."

Well, if it will help...

The stars in Dondon Monteverde’s stable

Like his mom, Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde, Dondon Monteverde is turning out to be a starmaker. Not many people know that the self-effacing Dondon has a stable of stars from both showbiz and sports under his talent agency, aptly called Star Factor, Inc., with Paula Punla, a public-relations specialist, as partner.

Go over the growing roster of Star Factor talents: Kris Aquino and fiancé James Yap, Boy Abunda, Ara Mina, Aubrey Miles, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Tanya Garcia, Troy Montero, April Boy Regino, Jeni Hernandez, Jon Joven (an international theater singer), Richard Villanueva (an event host), Phoemela Barranda, and directors Erik Matti and Joven Tan.

Besides movie and TV contracts, Dondon has closed endorsement deals for his talents with such corporate companies as Smart, Tanduay, Shell, Dickies, Ginebra San Miguel, HBC, Purefoods, Kissa, Leonardo, Metro Gaisano, Gateway Mall and San Miguel Beer.

(Interested in being managed by Star Factor – that is, if you believe you have the looks and the talent? Call Paula Punla at 0917-5364107.)

Briefly noted

• Tapped to play the title role in the remake of Zuma is Alex Crisano who, you will agree, fits the role to a T. Max Laurel first portrayed the komiks character who is bigger than life, almost like a giant. With his build (height is a few inches over six feet), Alex doesn’t even have to do any further physical preparation. Neither does he need to take up any acting workshop because the role doesn’t require much acting. The Zuma movie will be produced and directed by Ben Yalung, who is also behind the first version.

• Willie Revillame will co-host the new ABS-CBN reality-TV show Pinoy Big Brother (starting on Aug. 21) with Toni Gonzaga and Mariel Rodriguez. Reminiscent of the Jim Carrey starrer The Truman Show (in which he plays a man followed by hidden TV cameras everywhere he goes), Pinoy Big Brother will have the participants (more than four dozens) live in a house where they will be monitored by cameras and subjected to all sorts of tests and trials. Participants will be eliminated one by one during the 100 days of the airing until only one is left. Grand prize at stake is P1-M, a brand new Nissan Frontier Titanium 3 and a house and lot. Toni and Mariel are the daily hosts while Willie will do the weekly recap on Saturdays.

• Rica Peralejo said that she has been "boyfriend-less" for eight months now, but she’s not about to go into another serious relationship after she broke up with Bernard Palanca. "Mahirap maghanap ng type mo," said Rica who added that no third party was involved in her and Bernard’s break-up. Next time, according to Rica, she’d rather have a non-showbiz guy as boyfriend. In the meantime, she’s enjoying to the hilt her being fancy-free which may not really last long, considering the number of eligibles eyeing her.

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E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph