The new JC in Melissa’s life

Three years after she has recovered from a stormy romance with bold starlet JC (Juan Carlos) Castro, Melissa Mendez found another JC who now rules her life – yes, Jesus Christ.

"I have put Jesus at the center of my life and my family," said Melissa, whose love life seems to have been "inspired" by her Hollywood lookalike, the great femme fatale Ava Gardner (whose other local counterpart is retired ’50s/’60s LVN actress Merle Tuason, widow of Leopoldo "The Great Profile" Salcedo).

"I used to be worldly," continued Melissa who has three children by three different men – Denise, 18; Cassandra, 15; and Alexandra, eight. "I was makamundo; I loved life, I loved men."

But since she broke up with JC Castro, Melissa said that she has been happily celibate.

"My worldly desire simply disappeared when I let God into my heart, and with it my fears. It’s true: Perfect love casts out fears. I’ve stopped longing for a man’s company. With Jesus, I feel secure, very contented."

There was a time when Melissa was called a Soap Opera Queen because she was in the cast of almost all the teleseryes in TV town. Name it, she was in it: Flordeluna, Anna Luna, Gulong ng Palad (the second revival, not the current one), Esperanza, Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka, Di Ba’t Ikaw, Habang Kapiling Ka and Ikaw sa Puso Ko, her last. She was never out of a soap set – that is, until three years ago when her life and career hit a crossroads, torn as she was by her love for JC Castro, a chapter in her life which, according to Melissa, "I regretted but learned lessons from."

During her off years from television, Melissa did TV guestings and a few movies, all right, but she and her daughters were never wanting.

"God provided for us," she said. "There was a time when I measured happiness in material terms – you know, how many pieces of jewelry I had in my collection, how much money I had in the bank. My men provided for all my (material) needs. But now, all that has changed. Happiness for me now is seeing my daughters grow up well, having good health and being in the bosom of The Lord."

Asked what was the turning point in her life, Melissa said, "You have to be completely broken for you to wake up."

Now a bona fide member of the Victory Christian Fellowship (together with, among other stars, Jericho Rosales and girlfriend Heart Evangelista, Diether Ocampo and girlfriend Kristine Hermosa, Connie Reyes, Claudine Barretto and fiance Raymart Santiago, and Piolo Pascual), Melissa is involved in the"ushering ministry" and, soon, because she also sings, in the "music ministry."

"I believe that God is using me as an instrument in spreading The Word," said Melissa. "On the set, I share passages from the Bible with my co-stars. When I worked with Criselda (Volks) and Ynez (Veneracion, who has reportedly tried to commit suicide again recently), I shared the Word of God with them."

Back on television in the new GMA soap Majika (topbilled by Angel Locsin and Dennis Trillo), premiering on GMA soon, Melissa is now also visible as endorser of Getaway Spa (on Scout Esguerra, Quezon City), and Grand Vision Optical and Sophisticut Salon (both at Ortigas Center, Pasig City).

Is she staying celibate for good?

"Not really. Soon, my daughters will have families of their own and leave home. These past three years, I have had lots of suitors but I always told them, ‘Sorry, I don’t entertain suitors,’ because I didn’t want to be distracted from my commitment with The Lord. My only prayer is for The Lord to give me a God-fearing man if and when I decide to fall in love again."

Why Terrence Howard didn’t sing at the Oscars

Here’s an interesting tidbit from Funfare’s New York correspodent Edmund Silvestre, news editor of The Filipino Reporter:

Best Actor nominee Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow) skipped out on performing the nominated song It’s Hard Out Here For A Pimp at the Oscars on Kodak Theater Sunday evening after three respected African-American actors reportedly asked him not to.

The rap song, which Terrence originally sang for the movie Hustle and Flow – with him playing a small-time pimp with aspirations of rap stardom – was supposed to be performed by Terrence with Three 6 Mafia before he reneged with the claim that his hectic schedule prevented him from rehearsing for the show.

But Terrence’s friend, actress Eva Longoria, was quoted as saying that Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington and Will Smith told Terrence that singing the track would be a bad career move since the song did not send a positive message.

"Sidney Poitier said, ‘Do not get up there and represent the African-American community singing about a pimp,’ " Longoria reportedly told The Mirror.

Too bad for Terrence, the song won, leaving him flabbergasted in the audience, as ecstatic members of Three 6 Mafia rushed to the stage to claim the golden statue.

Terrence missed that one opportunity to get on stage as he would later lose in the Best Actor category.

Sayang!

Fr. Corsie’s healing sked

Here’s Fr. Corsie Legaspi’s healing schedule until end of this month:

• Today, 1 to 6 p.m., at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center, Binakayan, Cavite

• March 20 (Monday), March 23 (Thursday), March 24 (Friday) and March 25 (Saturday), 1 to 6 p.m. also at the Coming Home Retreat and Meditation Center, Binakayan, Cavite.

• March 31 to April 5, Thailand.

(For further inquiries, call 046-434-8759 or 046-878-0069, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, ask for Philip.)

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