Melodrama star still uses mentholated balm to shed crocodile tears

JUDY Ann Santos’ soap ends on Friday.

Melodramatic star is notorious for being “reality-challenged.” Exasperated Former Manager once called MS “a congenital liar.” And though no longer a spring chicken, MS clearly hasn’t outgrown fibbing.

MS got embroiled in a messy scandal with Close Relative recently and was forced to come out in public at the height of the storm, so to speak.

To generate sympathy, MS’ strategy was to come across as a weepy martyr. Studio Insider, however, learned that MS was dabbing on vapor rub to help coax out tears.

Still a ham after all these years! And now MS’ trade secret is out. Tsk, tsk.

Nanny lover

Not a few observers have pointed out that Handsome Artist is more stunning than Popular Girlfriend.

HA and PG went malling one day. It was just a casual date; PG didn’t bother to get dolled up.

A fan mistook PG for HA’s nanny. Asserted the mole: “Without makeup, PG looks like this comedienne typecast as a house help.” Aray!

Worse, PG is such a snob. Perhaps she had given the fan the cold shoulder.

Careless whisper

Budding Performer had a bad attack of foot-in-mouth disease.

RUFA Mae Quinto wants to keep love life private.

Most biz colleagues are mum about Promising Artist being in a Tagaytay drug rehab center.

BP slipped and confirmed with reporters that PA was in rehab, had very little contact with the outside world, could receive only snail mail from family and friends and wasn’t allowed to write back.

BP must be grateful that their supposed romance didn’t blossom away from the cameras.

Acting piece

Heard on the Radyo Inquirer program “Kliq Showbiz” (dzIQ 990 AM, Monday to Friday, 3 to 5 p.m.):

Although content with Younger Companion, Acclaimed Star is despondent because of a raging family feud.

AS’ Grown Kids don’t see eye to eye with YC. To force GK to accept YC, AS—gifted and awarded thespian—pretended to be seriously ill, to no avail.

Lazy househusband

JERICHO Rosales is ready to share his life with Kim.

Picked up from the Inquirer tabloid Bandera:

Hunky Guy has stoked the fury of Seasoned Starlet’s pals. HG is reportedly content to stay home while SS goes off to work for their growing family.

HG’s career had stalled long before he got married (and became unavailable to female and gay fans). His own incompetence is to blame for the lack of job offers. He is lousy in the acting department and has yet to speak in passable Filipino. He can’t keep portraying balikbayan characters!

End of soap

Judy Ann Santos’ prime-time series “Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala” on ABS-CBN ends on Friday. So soon?

ANDI Eigenmann insists she didn’t cause celeb breakup.

Box-office hit

Star Cinema has announced that its rom-com about moving on, “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo?” made P100 million in less than three weeks. The movie marks the first time that Kim Chiu and Xian Lim teamed up in a movie. Joyce Bernal directs.

Top of the Talk Shows

For those who missed last weekend’s TV gabfests (and why we are moved, if we are moved):

Raymart Santiago on his legal tiff with wife Claudine Barretto: “Lalabas din ang totoo dito … I miss you, Sabina! I miss you, Santino!” (Poor kids.)

Kris Bernal on sticking to her wholesome image: “Feeling ko si Lord parang sinabi niya muna, ‘Huwag ka munang mag-level up masyado! Huwag ka munang magpa-sexy!’” (Leveling up means “magpa-sexy”? Since when?)

Rufa Mae Quinto, asked if she’s in love: “I think so. Yeah, yeah … childhood sweetheart. I want to keep it to myself. Baka malaman pa niya na in love ako sa kanya … mag-break kami!” (Yes or no lang, puwede na.)

Rufa Mae, asked if the man  she’s dating is a politician: “Hindi siya pulitiko, eh. Ako naman kasi basta mahal ko, type ako at seryoso sa ’kin … wala naman akong pakialam kung singer siya, pulitiko … Nagkataon lang na maraming pulitiko na nagkagusto sa ’kin. ” (What the heck’s wrong with yes or no?)

Mommy Eva Cariño on Robin Padilla finally accepting BB Gandanghari: “Ako mama nila, eh. ’Di ako sanay na ang mga anak ko not on good terms. Ginawa ko lahat … para magbati-bati sila.” (Takot sila, ha, mommy?)

Robin on BB: “Kailangan na nating mailibing si Rustom … mabuhay ang inyong rebolusyon! Maligayang-maligaya kaming lahat dahil ang galing mo!” (Mabuhay!)

Super Sireyna winner Francine Garcia, asked if she believed that a straight man could genuinely love a gay man or a transsexual: “Let me answer that question straight to the point. I believe that love knows no gender. Thank you.” (’Teh, ikaw na talaga!)

Francine on same-sex marriage: “I’m not in favor … I believe that marriage is created for a man and woman… Sa relationship naman, if there’s love without marriage, there’s marriage without love.” (We take it back.)

Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos  on requesting Richard Yap or Ser Chief  to do a cameo in “Ekstra”: “Sabi ko, ‘Direk (Jeffrey Jeturian) puwede ba ma-guest natin si Ser Chief?’ Sabi niya, ‘Bakit?’ Sabi ko, ‘Basta, gusto ko siya, eh!’” (Ser Chief, ikaw na!)

Marian Rivera, asked why she was looking younger: “Gano’n talaga kapag masaya ka sa buhay mo at in love ka!” (And we know what doesn’t hurt, either.)

Gerald Anderson, asked about Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli’s rumored romance: “Ayoko nang mag-comment … Basta masaya ang lahat, everybody should be happy.” (Oo nga. Are you happy?)

Andi Eigenmann on rumors that she’s the reason for the breakup of Nikki Gil and Billy Crawford: “Sana po huwag na akong idamay sa mga bagay na wala naman akong kinalaman …  It’s not true.” (Korek! We know why naman.)

Gov. Vi on why she did “Ekstra”: “Matagal ko nang gustong ma-experience ang indie. For curiosity … Sabi ko, paano ka makakatapos ng isang pelikula in 10 days and, at the same time, kapag pinanood mo, iba ang passion na kayang ilabas ng artist na hindi pinipigilan?” (At na-experience ka rin ng indie, ’teh!)

Jericho Rosales on proposing to girlfriend Kim Jones: “I just wanna pat myself on the back, and thank God, desidido ako to have this kind of life [and] share it with someone.” (When the right one comes along …  gano’n lang ’yun.)

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, Claudine Barretto’s counsel, on Raymart Santiago claiming that his wife is capable of making up stories: “Ms Claudine Barretto may be a good actress, but she’s not that good … na in a span of several days,  maloloko niya ang isang seasoned lawyer na kagaya ko.” (This is really not about you.)