Dingdong breaks his own silence

Curtain-raisers:

• BREAKING NEWS: Kristine Hermosa has filed a petition for annulment of marriage against Diether Ocampo at the Makati Regional Trial Court. What’s that again? But they have never admitted that they’ve been married, have they? The rumor that they got married circulated last year and Kristine and Diether either only smiled or said "no comment" when they were asked – nay, pestered! – about it by the press. Some people suspected that the rumor was floated by ABS-CBN think tanks to drum up interest for Kristine and Diether’s soap starrer, Till Death Do Us Part, which died a natural death due to poor ratings after only a few weeks. Instead of boosting the public appeal of the soap, the rumor adversely affected the careers of both Kristine and Diether. Now that Kristine has filed a petition for annulment, she and Diether can’t anymore deny that they ever got married. Oh my, so soon? What happened? Where did they go wrong? Somebody close to the un-couple told Funfare that "they are always fighting." Oops! Has harsh reality set in so soon? So what can other "lovestruck" stars (take note, Kris Aquino) learn from the sad Kristine-Diether experience? Just this: Look before you leap. Or, better still: Think a hundred times before tying the marital knot (which can prove difficult to untangle if things don’t turn out well).

• I was listening to Ali Sotto on her DZBB program with Arnold Clavio yesterday and I was amused by her invitation to the public to watch First Son and Pampanga Rep. (on indefinite leave) Mikey Macapagal-Arroyo’s new movie titled Sablay Ka Na, Pasaway Ka Pa (with Ethel Booba among his co-stars). And then, obviously suppressing a giggle (in vain!), Ali went over Mikey filmography, to wit: Anak, Pagsubok Lang Yan (topbilled by Robin Padilla); A.B. Normal; Hawak Ko ang Buhay Mo; Mahal Kita Maging Sino Ka Man; and Di Kita Ma-Reach (with Judy Ann Santos). Ali noted (and I agree) that the title of Mikey’s latest movie is eerily relevant to the times – Sablay Ka Na, Pasaway Ka Pa. Like Ali, I’m inviting Funfare readers to watch it. I heard it’s a very funny movie. Be careful, though: You might die laughing.

• There’s something deeper than mere friendship between Jeremy Marquez and Alessandra de Rossi (segment hosts of GMA’s S-Files which is co-hosted by Jeremy’s father, Joey Marquez). Yes, they’re "on." Observed the Funfare Timog Avenue DPA: "Jeremy, who has a child with his former girlfriend – or wife? – is very lovable; no wonder almost all the girls he works with fall in love with him." Like father, like son. Papa Joey is also very lovable, isn’t he?

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Los Angeles-based Antoinette Taus has finally cleared all the rumors about her in exclusive interviews with the GMA late-Saturday-night show Showbiz Stripped and The STAR. No, Antoinette said, she and Dingdong Dantes didn’t get married (and they just went steady for more than five years); no, she didn’t have two children by Dingdong; and no, she didn’t think Dingdong betrayed her by going steady with his Encantadia co-star Karylle because she (Antoinette) and Dingdong formally broke up last March.

That’s one side of the nagging issue that lingered because of Antoinette and Dingdong’s decision to keep mum. With Antoinette’s side out, Funfare decided to get Dingdong’s side to give the issue a closure. Dingdong said he didn’t watch Showbiz Stripped nor read Antoinette’s STAR interview, so I presumed that he didn’t personally know what Antoinette said and was therefore reacting with an "untainted" mind.

First, the supposed secret marriage.

"Once and for all, we never got married. I was surprised when I first heard that rumor because what people were dwelling on was the ‘anak’ issue. Why didn’t I clear that rumor? Because nobody ever asked me pointblank about it."

• On the "anak" issue: "Everytime somebody asked me about it, I would say it’s not true, wala kaming anak ni Toni, because we really have no children. Not one or two. All I can say is that her father (Tom Sr.) took good care of her."

Some people claim that they saw a picture of Dingdong and Antoinette carrying a baby in the Internet.

"You know, in our kind of work, we encounter a lot of kids, especially ako since mahilig ako sa bata. It’s not far-fetched that that photo must have been taken at a party Toni and I had attended. I have several little nieces and nephews and I’m not sure if the kid in the picture is one of my pamangkin. I haven’t seen the picture so I can’t say for sure."

How long did he and Antoinette go steady (something which Dingdong is said to have repeatedly denied)?

"It’s not that I denied it... It’s just that from way back, Toni and I wanted to keep it to ourselves; we preferred to keep that part of our private life private. I never denied it, I just didn’t want to talk about it. We chose to have that kind of set-up at pinanindigan ko lang talaga."

Reminded that he was romantically linked to a few other girls (one of them former Mutya ng Pilipinas Darlene Carbungco) during the time he and Antoinette were going steady, Dingdong said that there were times when he and Antoinette were "off."

The Tauses considered Dingdong part of the family, letting him stay at their home in Studio City when he paid Antoinette a visit last year when Antoinette’s mom was dying of cancer.

"They’re a nice family," said Dingdong. "Very hospitable."

Dingdong confirmed that he and Antoinette broke up last March and that he and Karylle started going steady in April.

The last time they talked was last March. According to Dingdong, he and Antoinette talked "about something."

Antoinette said that even if she and Dingdong have parted ways, she could always count on Dingdong.

"I wish her well in anything she does," said Dingdong.

Asked if his romance with Karylle is not just a gimmick for Encantadia, Dingdong said, "Definitely not! I’m proud of what we have now."

Told that mom Zsa Zsa Padilla has reminded Karylle to be, you know, "careful," Dingdong said that Zsa Zsa has nothing to worry about because he won’t do anything "bad" to Karylle.

"I was brought up properly by my family," said Dingdong. "I know what I should avoid."

Last question: Is he faithful?

"Oo naman!" said Dingdong.

Faithful to one?

"Of course, of course!"

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