Apparently bothered, Ruffa Gutierrez called me up the other day and asked if I really Tweeted that her ex-boyfriend (although, like everybody else, they have never admitted that they were ever “on”) John Lloyd Cruz denied reports attributed to Ruffa that he continues to call and text her even now that they are “off” and JLC (as Ruffa fondly calls him) is presumed to be going happily steady with Shaina Magdayao ever after. According to rumors, which he has neither confirmed nor denied, JLC has lately been drinking (nothing new, huh?) because he might be having problems with his love life.
I told Ruffa that I don’t Tweet and, I’m printing this in bold all-caps as a disclaimer, I DON’T HAVE A TWITTER ACCOUNT OR A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT although I and some of my friends (Tempo’s Ronald Constantino, among them) have been complaining that some impostors have created such phony websites containing nasty entries against the stars which I, and I’m sure Ronald, totally disown.
But I asked Ruffa if JLC is indeed still regularly communicating with her and she said, “Yes, he is but he doesn’t even have the guts (Note: Ruffa actually used the stronger word that starts with ‘B’ and ends with a ‘double L’. — RFL) to tell the truth, making me a liar. He’s still as confused as ever.”
“Confused” was the same word Ruffa used to describe JLC’s state of mind last March when he asked for Ruffa’s help in deciding, would you believe, who to choose between her and Shaina. He eventually chose Shaina, the girl locked up in a seemingly stormy romance and obviously is not getting pieces of sisterly advice from her Ate Vina (whose own love life is reported to be topsy-turvy).
“The least (JLC) should do is be man enough to tell the truth,” said Ruffa, and nothing but.
Really now, is there anything wrong with an “ex” calling his “ex” and, why not, crying on each other’s shoulder?
“I have moved on,” added Ruffa, “and why shouldn’t he?”
* * *
Pardon me but I used to hold Derek Ramsay in high esteem and found him one of the very few well-mannered actors hereabouts, until last Tuesday’s presscon (which I purposely avoided) announcing his being the newest endorser of The Belo Medical Clinic’s “Men need Belo, too!” thrust.
As usually happens in a presscon like that, the nosey movie press prefer to ask more about the issues swirling around the endorser that about the usefulness of the product.
Yesterday’s tabs were full of Derek’s quotations (must be accurate because he was quoted verbatim), like his current girlfriend Angelica Panganiban being “more yummy” than his ex-girlfriend Solenn Heussaff (who, if I get the information right, was only 16 when she started going steady with Derek); and that, insinuating at his intimate moments with Angelica, he made up for their sometimes lack of time together when they took a vacation in Hong Kong “at nakabawi ako.”
Comments like those would have been acceptable from actors of unsavory reputation but not from Derek. He could have played safe and gave “general” answers.
Of course, Solenn was offended.
Through her manager Leo Dominguez, Solenn sent Funfare Update this reaction: “Richard is a gentleman and is more handsome than Derek!” Ouch, ang sakit n’yan, huh! (Richard is Richard Gutierrez, host of the GMA show Survivor Philippines in which Solenn is one of the castaways. The two are only friends daw, not yet “more than friends.”) And, if I may add, Richard and Solenn have better managers than Derek’s.
Briefly noted
♦ The hit AS1 back-to-back concert of Martin Nievera and Gary Valenciano will be mounted tonight in Davao. Ticket prices are P3,500 (VIP), P2,500 (Patron A), P1,500 (Patron B), P1,000 (Patron C), P500 (Green) and P250 (Red), available at SM outlets, SM Davao Cinema ticket booths, Blugre Café Landco, MTS, SM Bigby’s Café Torres and SDM Antonio’s Bar ’n Grill. AS1 will have another US tour in March to April next year.
♦ 2010 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Asia Pacific Christi Lynn “Ashley” Landrito McGarry was tapped by the Mutya ng Pilipinas Organization to represent the country in the 2010 Miss Intercontinental Pageant on Nov. 26 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, as replacement of 2010 Mutya ng Pilipinas-Intercontinental Carla Lizardo who politely backed out in deference to a family member’s death in a recent fire that gutted their ancestral home. The statuesque Brooklyn-based stunner is the daughter of former PABL player and model Christopher McGarry and Victoria Alba Landrito. Miss Intercontinental pageant is on its 39th year. — Reported by Felix Manuel, one of Funfare’s “beauty experts”
♦ Past Miss World winners have been invited to sit as judges in the 60th edition of Miss World, with grand finals set for Saturday, Oct. 30, in Sanya, China. They are: France’s Denise Perrier Lanfranchi (1953), United Kingdom’s Ann Sidney (1964), Sweden’s Mary Stavin (1977), Nigeria’s Agbani Darego (2001), Peru’s Maria Julia Mantilla (2004) and China’s Zhang Xi Lin (2007). The contest is probably the world’s biggest, with 130 franchises around the world, broadcast in over 180 countries (sorry but the Philippines in not included) and seen by more than one billion viewers. It has raised more than $500-M for charities around the world. Competing this year are 115 girls from the same number of countries. (Note: Information contributed by a Funfare reader who got it from the Miss World website www.missworld.com).
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)