“I don’t need a man at the moment!”
Coming from Ruffa Gutierrez, noted for her heart overflowing with love, doesn’t that sound unbelievable?
“I just broke up with my boyfriend (French-Israeli Jordan Mouyal) of seven years. There was no third party. I just feel that I should have more time for myself and my daughters (Lorin and Venice).”
That’s just one of the many revelations Ruffa made in this uncensored Conversation. So you think Ruffa has said more than enough about her life in past interviews? Think again. Read on!
She has just wrapped up TV5’s Stay-in Love and is set to start work on three projects.
“See, I’m too busy to have a love life. Masarap ang may inspiration pero ngayon, huwag muna malalim na malalim.”
These days, Ruffa’s inspiration are her daughters (she has given Lorin the go-signal to join showbiz now that Lorin is turning 18 this year).
Let’s “unwrap” Ruffa further in the revealing “Who-What-Where-When-How” broken series.
WHO
• Who is your greatest love?
“Yilmaz Bektas...not because hanggang ngayon mahal ko pa rin siya but because our relationship was cemented by our two daughters...and we got married. You won’t marry a man if you don’t love him, right? Kaya naiiba siya sa lahat. But it doesn’t mean that he is my forever love, ha. I am still excited to be with my forever love, my soulmate.”
• Who do you turn to in times of trouble?
“My family. They are always there for me.”
• Who is your role model?
“Someone who I look up to even if I didn’t know her personally, Princess Diana, because of what she had gone through. Pareho kaming Cancerian, pareho kaming puso ang pinaiiral. She was also a philanthropist. Marami siyang natulungan. She served the role that God had given her.”
• Who else, maybe somebody that you know very well?
“My dad. He’s a gentleman who wouldn’t want to hurt anybody intentionally.”
• Who are your pet peeves?
“Those who are plastic, two-faced and cheap, hahaha!!! I hold myself in high standard so ang mga kasama ko ay dapat ganoon din, those who know how to value themselves. Ayoko sa mga taong mababaw kausap.”
WHAT
• What was your mood when you woke up this morning?
“Happy...and grateful for all the projects, grateful that I am surrounded by people who guide and show me the right way.”
• What did you see in the mirror?
“OMG, I have to see Cathy Valencia na! Grabe!!! The woman in the mirror was adorable, sweet, funny, loving and fearless.”
• What is your biggest fear?
“Losing the ones I love.”
• What is the current state of your heart?
“Single (but not available), hahaha!!! As I said, I just broke up with my boyfriend of seven years (French-Israeli Jordan Mouyal). No, there wasn’t any third party. No hurt feelings between us. Napakabait niya. Was it a case of the so-called seven-year itch? No. We both decided to focus on more important things in our lives...separately! Same with Yilmaz. It wasn’t the seven-year itch. In fact, our relationship lasted for nine years because it took two years for our marriage to be annulled. For two years, he even came back to the Philippines to try to win me back.”
• What’s the biggest mistake that you made in your life?
“Whether big or small, every mistake made me the woman that I am today. Because of those trials, I am the Ruffa Gutierrez that I am today — strong, motivated and, again, fearless. I feel that I can overcome any problem as long as my loved ones are around to hold my hands.”
• What would you tell your 18-year-old self?
“OMG, ang tagal na n’un, hahaha!!! I would tell her, ‘Ruffa, everything is offered to you on a silver platter, there’s so much ahead of you, do better, make the right decision. Don’t be impulsive. Make your mark in this world and make it deep so it will last.’ ‘Yan lang.”
WHERE
• Where are you most comfortable?
“At home.”
• Where do you unwind?
“Normally, out of the country. But now that we are stuck in the Philippines... sa beach.”
• Where is your Achilles’ Heel?
“You mean my weakness? Someone who is sweet, kind, thoughtful and sweet, and who is after my welfare.”
• Where were you on your birthday (June 24) last year and where will you be this year?
“I was home with my family and close friends. It will be the same this year.”
• Where do you want to live permanently?
“It depends on where my husband-to-be is from. I will follow wherever he wants to go. Life is a big adventure.”
WHEN
• When are you happiest?
“When I see my kids succeed. When I see them happy. When I feel that they love me and miss me.”
• When are you saddest?
“When Mercury is in retrograde, hahaha, and I’m thinking of the past. When I recall bad memories, I get emotional.”
• When are you in your best mood?
“When it’s not full moon.”
• When did you fall seriously in love?
“In my pre-teen years, it was puppy love. In my teenage years, ages 16 to 20, it was with Zoren (Legaspi) kasi we were a loveteam and we had a long relationship. In my 20s, with Yilmaz. In my 30s, well, mostly unforgettable, para lang silang hangin na dumaan, hahaha!!! In my 40s, with Jordan. I’m excited for the next chapter.”
• When are you going to marry again?
“I used to say, ‘I won’t marry again.’ I am hoping for the right timing and the right person who will be my soulmate. When? Hindi pina-plano yan. Basta dumarating na lang ‘yan.”
HOW
• How do you keep your sanity in this pandemic?
“Prayer. Di ba prayer can move mountains? Without God, we won’t be able to survive.”
• How did you survive a failed marriage?
“That was the biggest pain in my life. Up to now, I still cry over it, hindi lang isang gabi o isang buwan, years kong iniyakan ‘yon. When Yilmaz and I talk, umiiyak pa rin ako. Iniwan ko siya kahit mahal ko siya kaya lang mas mahal ko ang sarili ko. I was down and thanks to ABS-CBN for picking me up, to my family and friends, and also to my psychiatrist who helped me manage my stress disorder.”
• How do you know that you are seriously in love? Three signs.
“One, I can’t live without the person. Two, he brings out the best in me and puts up with my quirks. Three, if the relationship lasts more than one year.”
• How can you tell if a guy is serious with you?
“I never entertain users. I can smell them a mile away. I have a strong sense of smell.”
• How can you tell if a suitor is not gay?
“Sabi ko nga, I have a strong sense of smell. Madali kong maamoy ‘yan. I have so many gay friends so I know the signs. So far, lahat ng lumigaw sa akin are real men. Hindi malalambot.”
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)