'Hindi siya totoo': Dingdong Dantes denies having child with Lindsay de Vera

MANILA, Philippines — Dingdong Dantes said that he and wife Marian Rivera laughed off the rumors that he had fathered a child with his co-star Lindsay de Vera, but on Thursday's episode of "Fast Talk With Boy Abunda," the box-office actor said that he had to clear the issue once and for all. 

"Wala po," Dingdong denied the issue several times at yesterday's episode of the afternoon showbiz talk show. 

Boy noted how the rumor persisted even after four years since it started. Dingdong and Lindsay were co-stars in two shows, namely, "Pari 'Koy" (2015) and "Alyas Robin Hood" (2016). 

He asked Dingdong to comment on the issue and why he chose to break his silence regarding it. 

“Sa totoo lang nagdadalawang isip talaga ako kagabi kung may sasabihin ba ako about the topic and the issue kasi alam kong baka tanungin ninyo e…

"Pero para po sa akin kasi, may mga tumatawag na rin po kasi na mga kaibigan, mga kamag-anak, 'yung mga nagmamalasakit po sa akin, and because I have a responsibility dito sa aking mga mahal sa buhay, sa aking mga kaibigan e, responsibilidad ko na klaruhin ang isyung ito dahil mahalagang-mahalaga po ang aspetong ito para sa akin."

“I have a responsibility sa aking pamilya to clear things like this because I love my wife, I love my family very much, my kids, that's why I'm saying that it is not true,” Dingdong said. 

He added that he and Marian used to laugh the speculations off but he saw the need to address it. 

“Sa totoo lang no'ng una, pinagtatawanan talaga namin siya, kami ni Marian [Rivera] pinagtatawanan namin siya pero dumating na rin sa puntong marami na ang nagtatanong sa akin," the actor said.

“Once and for all I'm clarifying na hindi siya totoo," he stressed. 

Lindsay also denied the rumors in her 2021 interview with veteran showbiz columnist Jobert Sucaldito on his online show. 

"Never akong nabuntis ni Kuya Dong and never kaming nagka-relationship. I respect Kuya Dong very much as a person, as a husband and as an actor," the actress said in the interview. 

Boy pointed this out and asked the actor why the rumor continues to persist.

"I have no idea," the actor replied, adding that it was hard to speculate on reasons why it continues to be talked about when Boy asked it might have something to do with his film's recent success. 

Dingdong and Marian's comeback movie "Rewind" is now the highest-grossing movie of all time, grossing over P900 million in gross ticket sales from Philippine and international screenings. 

Dingdong said that it was okay for Boy to ask him that awkward question. 

"It's okay and I think I'm okay that I cleared it because kailangan po talaga dahil mahal ko ang pamilya ko and kailangan na maging klaro ang mga bagay na ganito," the actor replied. 

RELATED: Dingdong Dantes, Charo Santos start filming 1st movie together