Gretchen and Marjorie Barretto
“I wouldn’t like to give these bashers the satisfaction of hurting us,” said former actress Marjorie Barretto, whose family has been the subject of harsh comments on social media websites, largely because of the highly publicized squabble between her two sisters Gretchen and Claudine.
“I always tell my children they should be able to differentiate between constructive and destructive criticisms. Positive ones say what you should improve on or change. The negative messages should just be blocked outright,” she told the Inquirer.
But Marjorie admitted having been hurt by hate comments in the past. “I’m only human,” she said. “It’s painful, especially the first few times. Fortunately, you get immune to it after a while.”
Antibullying
Marjorie’s daughter Julia, 16, is a new Modess endorser. At the launch, Julia discussed an advocacy that she supports—antibullying. “I feel bad when I meet girls with low self-esteem. My dream is to encourage every young Filipina to be so confident that no amount of bullying can affect her.”
Julia and Claudia (with her mom)
While Marjorie is making sure to equip her kids against bullies, she said, “I try not to be overprotective. And I tell them they shouldn’t be bullies, either.” She saw herself in Julia, Marjorie said: “A very strong girl, but I know there’s still a child inside her who can get hurt should a single basher hit a raw nerve. I tell her it’s OK to be upset; I allow her to be a kid that way.”
Cover girl
She has advised Julia to “shy away from the Internet, especially when you have a new project.” The news that Julia would be paired with Enrique Gil in the fantasy-drama “Mirabella” did not sit well with the supporters of JulQen, Enrique’s screen partnership with Julia Montes. This prompted Enrique to plead with his fans to stop attacking his new partner on Twitter.
In less than a year since Julia was introduced as a Kapamilya artist, she has clinched eight major endorsements. Her show hasn’t started airing but she has been on the cover of almost all major magazines.
Marjorie hopes Julia will not fail her followers. On the other hand, she said, “I also hope they don’t expect too much from her because she’s just a newcomer. I tell her to love her work and always be at her best behavior.”
She reminds her daughter to never complain about the unusually long working hours, saying, “That’s a sign of success. When you have little time to sleep, that means you’re in demand. So enjoy it and save for your future.”
Marjorie, estranged wife of comedian Dennis Padilla, does not see any other child of hers joining the business soon. She has two others with Dennis, Claudia and Leon, and one with former actor Kier Legaspi, Dani.
(Email mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)