Carlene not happy with Dennis’ side

Curtain-raisers:

• The identities of the stars involved in this blind item have to be hidden behind the names of agua de pataranta for an understandable reason. According to a Funfare DPA, Rhum Ginebra, a sweet actress, got so drunk during a recent birthday bash that she collapsed as the celebration was winding up. It was so unlikely for a sweet actress like her to do it, said the DPA. Was she simply having a good time or was she trying to drown her frustration with J. Coke, her actor-boyfriend who’s the subject of unsavory rumors?

• In that same party, the same DPA noticed that Actor O was peeved when Actress K, his constant date (but not — yet — his girlfriend, they both insist), openly flirted with Actor D with whom she has an off-again/on-again relationship. Is Actor O now seeing the girl’s true color?

• And could it be true that a semi-showbiz dashing celebrity for a while kept an eye on a one-time Bb. Pilipinas runner-up (from the same school where the guy studied) who promptly discouraged him because she knew that the guy is a prominent lady’s, ehem, “precious possession?” I thought he wouldn’t let anybody else, uh, touch his skin? The binibini runner-up is now linked to a TV host who is over-extending his bachelorhood.

* * *

Over the weekend, Carlene Aguilar and Cristine Reyes ironed things out between them during a meeting at a Quezon City hotel arranged by Cristine’s lawyer and Cristy Fermin of The Buzz where Carlene poured out her feelings two Sundays ago. The lawyer said that Cristine was “moved” enough by Carlene’s sincerity to initiate a meeting with her. As a result, today Cristine will withdraw the case of grave slander and oral defamation she filed against Carlene only last week.

Also over the weekend in an exclusive tell-all interview with The STAR, Dennis Trillo, the man caught between Carlene (father of his child Calix Andreas Aguilar Ho) and Cristine, finally made a clean breast of the issue.

All’s well that ends well?

Guess again.

In a brief phone chat with Funfare, Carlene said she wasn’t happy with Dennis’ “confession,” especially his admission that he did go steady with Cristine for four months and that his one mistake was not having had a “formal closure” on his five-year off-and-on romance with Carlene.

“Did he really admit that they went steady?” asked the incredulous Carlene who added that she got a mixed feeling of sadness, disappointment and an added pain after reading and hearing (on last Saturday’s Startalk) Dennis’ side.

Funfare told Carlene, “You’ve been steadies for five years. You should know him that well.”

Said Carlene, her voice as sad as Good Friday, “I thought so. Now I realized that I don’t really know him that well.”

Will Carlene keep baby Calix, the only link between them now, away from Dennis, a possibility he said he dreaded?

Converse behind Akon concert

No other artist has turned his career around to become a phenomenon the way Akon has. The Senegalese-American R&B singer, songwriter and record-producer recently won the Best Male Soul/R&B Artist award at the 2007 American Music Awards, beating hyphenated hitmakers Ne-Yo and T-Pain. The award comes on the heels of his three big wins at the World Music Awards two weeks ago when he pulled down a trio of prestigious trophies, including World’s Best R&B Artist and Best-Selling R&B Star in the World, overtaking superstars like recent Manila visitor Beyonce, soon-to-visit Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.

Akon holds the distinction of being the only artist to simultaneously lock down No. 1 and No. 2 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles  chart. He also became the top-selling mastertone artist of all time this year, achieving a phenomenal 11 million in total mastertone sales, the most by any artist since the inception of mastertones.

His success has reached Europe after a sold-out concert in London and Germany. His single, Mama Africa, has recently debuted at No. 47 in UK. He has just come up with his own record label, Kon Live Distribution, under Interscope Records. His posters include T-Pain and TLC’s Chili.

On Thursday, Nov. 29, starting at 8 p.m., Akon will have a date with his Filipino fans at the Araneta Coliseum where he’s expected to sing his hit songs, including Smack That, Don’t Matter, I Wanna Love You, Sweet Escape, Bartender, Mama Africa, Lonely, Shake Down, Belly Dancer, etc.

Aside from The STAR, among Akon’s major sponsors is Converse which is noted for its continuous support for artists. Converse has joined sociallly-conscious artists in worthy causes. In fact, 15 percent of the sales of its Red Collection will go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

(Note: For ticket inquiries for Akon’s concert, call Ticketnet at 911-5555 or 374-2222.)

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