MANILA, Philippines – Dennis Padilla has spoken up anew on the alleged “visitor treatment” he received at his daughter Claudia Barretto’s wedding.
In an interview with Ogie Diaz posted at midnight on Thursday, April 10, the actor said that seeing Claudia walk down the aisle without him was among one of the most painful things he has ever experienced.
Clik here to view.
He shared that he approached the organizer to question why he, the father of the bride, was excluded from the program. The organizer allegedly sympathized with him and told him that she raised the issue during the planning stage, but was told to just stick to the program she was given.
The actor also said that his 82-year-old mother also began to cry when she realized that it wouldn’t be Padilla walking Claudia down the aisle.
“Sa totoo lang, Ogie, mas masaya pa ako kung hindi ako invited tapos dumating na lang ako (To be honest, Ogie, I’d be happier if I weren’t invited then I just showed up unannounced),” he said.
Padilla, his brother Gene, and their mother then decided not to attend the reception. He said he handed his gift to the wedding coordinator and asked her to pass it on to the newlyweds. When he was about to leave, the coordinator supposedly told him to stay for a bit longer, as Claudia had specifically requested a photo with him at the altar.
Padilla revealed that Claudia had called him on the morning of the wedding to inform him that the wedding would be called off. He then said that an hour later, she called him again to tell him it would be pushing through. Padilla speculated that Claudia only did this because she didn’t want him to attend in the first place.
He also claimed that when he tried asking for a wedding invitation for himself and his mother, Claudia merely sent him the event details through an online message.
“Ayoko na, surrender na. I’m finished. Tatay na lang nila ako, pero bringing back the relationship, wala na siguro. Maybe we can just play around with the memories pero it’s finished,” Padilla told Diaz, adding that he would take down all his social media posts of his children.
(I surrender. I’m finished. I’m just their father, but there’s probably no more bringing back the relationship. Maybe we can just play around with the memories but it’s finished.)
“Ngayon ko lang narealize na not one of my children even posted my picture in their Instagram, not once. Ni wala akong picture sa kahit saang social media nila. Ni walang mention ng pangalan ko, ng nanay ko, ng tatay ko na artista rin, sa kanilang mga social media post. As in, zero,” he added.
(I just realized now that not one of my children even posted my picture in their Instagram, not once. I don’t have a single photo on any of their social media accounts. They never mention my name, my mother’s name, or the name of my father who is also a celebrity, in their social media posts. As in, zero.)
Padilla then cried foul over the public calling him toxic, as he says that he is just a father longing to reconnect with his children.
He said that he tried to reach out to his other children Leon and Julia to ask why the wedding turned out that way, but received no response. He also alleged that Claudia’s aunts, Claudine Barretto and Gretchen Barretto, were not invited to the wedding.
“I won’t give them any chance to see me or talk to me….and that is final,” Padilla said, asking Diaz to tell his children to “not dare” to approach or talk to him.
“This is a permanent goodbye. Maybe the last time you will see me, sa loob na ng kabaong ko ‘yun (it will be in my casket),” he added.
Padilla said that he will focus on his other kids, with the youngest ones being eight and 12 years old.
Julia, Leon, and Claudia are Padilla’s kids with his ex-wife Marjorie Barretto, whom he split up with in 2007. – Rappler.com