Samantha confirms break-up

MANILA, Philippines - Remember Gracia of Eat, Bulaga! fame?

Samantha Lopez was first known as Gracia, the Showdown Girl of Eat, Bulaga, before she left the country in 2002 to be with her husband Warren Edwards, who heads a shoe manufacturing, design and retail store in Manhattan, New York.

Aside from her memorable stint as an Eat, Bulaga! mainstay, Samantha also showcased her dramatic acting prowess in some GMA 7 teleseryes such as the afternoon drama Sine Serye Presents: Mars Ravelo’s Basahang Ginto.

Samantha recently flew back to Manila for a 10-day business trip, where she had quick get-togethers with some close friends from the showbiz industry, including her former manager Arnold Vegafria.

The dancer-actress revealed that she is now separated from her husband after seven years of marriage and being together for a total of 12 years.

“I fell out of love,” she confessed, at the same time confirming an ongoing divorce settlement case.

Samantha added, “It came to a point where I was in such a dark place, where I didn’t know how to be happy anymore. Like the home became a prison. Para kang patay. I’m such a happy person, I’m so full of energy.

“But I lost all that. And even my friends noticed. And then I just became isolated.

“We even tried counseling, but sadly, it didn’t help.”

Sadly, the couple didn’t have any children, although Samantha admitted enjoying the company of their two loving English wire-haired fox terriers.

Asked by her showbiz colleagues if she has any plans of resuming her acting career, Samantha said that she’d rather focus full-time on her real estate business.

“I’m planning to put up my own brokerage firm in Manhattan,” she disclosed.

Excited about her newfound career, Samantha further narrated, “It’s promising. I can see myself staying in it for a long time. I love everything about it. I love New York, I love architecture, I love looking at different kinds of properties.”

Despite her personal setback, Samantha radiates with the same bubbly demeanor and youthful glow. Through it all, she remains positive and harbors no grudges.

“No regrets,” she affirmed.

In retrospect, she could’ve ignored her feelings and kept on living like a princess, with all the trappings of luxury and comfort.

But at what price? For Samantha, heeding her own call to freedom seemed to have been the wiser choice.

She mused, “There comes a point in one’s life when you just have no recourse but to be true to yourself — your beliefs, your values, your dreams and aspirations, and you should never sacrifice any of that, not even for the sake of love.

“I vow to keep on learning and educating myself, to find something I love doing and be passionate about it, to always be kind and loving to others and lastly, to trust God and have faith in Him, and everything will be alright.”

Although she did admit that she’d love acting again in teleseryes, time constraints prevent Samantha from pursuing her acting muse. “I would love to but I have to be back in New York to take care of my clients,” she stressed.

She also disclosed her plans for the coming year.

She elaborated, “I plan to get more clients — either sellers, buyers and/or investors in Asia and to be the exclusive sales representative at one of these new condo developers in Manhattan.”