Charice: 'I’m a tomboy, and proud to be one '

It took a lot of courage but last Sunday, Charice Pempengco announced on national TV that she is a lesbian.

“Yes, I’m a tomboy,” the internationally famous singer confessed to Boy Abunda on The Buzz.

She was pushed into making the admission to end weeks of rumors in the movie press and the social media that she prefers the company of women to boys.

I can imagine the international gossip mill humming about Charice’s letting out.  She said she decided to make the big announcement here and not abroad because “I owe a lot to Filipinos.”

Charice also confirmed that all is not well between her and her mother. “Yes, I’ve been quarrelling with Mommy. I need to understand her. If she hurt me I know that she herself was hurt because she’s a mother. But we’re not arguing now. We’ve reached the stage where we’re trying to understand each other. And having arguments is normal.”

She apologized to her mom, “but this is me. I’m proud of who I am and I love myself, that’s why I’m doing this.”

Charice also addressed her fans, many of whom she said must be disappointed. “Some of you might turn their backs on me. I’m sorry but you all know that I’m a sincere person.”

She said she was into same-sex relationships, but definitely not with The Voice contestant Cheesa Laureta. “Cheesa is like a big sister to me,” she said.

She also denied that she ran away from home to be with Alyssa Alano, another former game show finalist. She said Alyssa is “an inspiration” and “a very special person.”

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Dingdong Dantes is clueless as to why it took about three years for the movie Dance of the Steel Bars to be released.

The film probes the life of inmates in the Cebu provincial prison and how dancing gave them hope and inspiration. Dingdong stars as the inmate who did the choreography for the dancing prisoners.

“I don’t know about the specific problems that were holding up the showing of the film.” Dingdong said. “What I know is that the delay helped because there were several revisions that fit well for the international and local markets.”

He believes The Dance of the Steel Bars will show to the world “the resiliency of Filipino culture, the remarkable talent of local filmmakers and their vision towards globalization of the film industry.”

“It will be something that will mark the start of something great and I am so proud to be part of it,” Dingdong said.

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Remember Vivian Velez, the sex siren of the 1980s?

Guess what. She’s into selling aircraft now. She sells planes and helicopters to flight schools as well as to well-heeled clients who can afford to fly around in their own jet.

But Vivian hasn’t completely retired from showbiz.  Right now she’s taping the TV5 teleseries Misibis Bay in that paradise of a resort in Albay.

She said her children are grown up now – one is 17 and the other, 18 – so she has the time for both her business and acting.

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Amalia Fuentes resigned last week from Muling Buksan ang Puso, the TV series ABS-CBN is taping which pairs her with Susan Roces.

In a statement, the network attributed Ms. Fuentes’ resignation “to creative differences with the production team and the challenges and demands of regular taping schedules.”

There was no elaboration of what the “creative differences” were, but a source let on that Amalia was a problem from Day One. She even expected the network to provide her wardrobe, the source said.

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Multi-awarded director and National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Eddie Romero was buried Sunday at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani after a necrological ceremony at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Direk Eddie died on May 28. He was 88.

We will miss you, Direk Eddie.