Richard, Rhian weigh in on John Lloyd’s surprising decision

Richard Yap

The sudden decision of John Lloyd Cruz to take an indefinite leave of absence from the entertainment biz made me ponder upon the “harmful” side effects of fame. Beneath the glitz and glamour of show biz, there’s always pressure to outdo your last performance.

Celebs often pay the price for the path they choose. Sometimes, the trappings of success turn into a trap.

I cornered a couple of celebs to share their thoughts about getting “burned out,” just like in JL’s case. Although it’s good to quit while you’re on top, staying power is something many celebs yearn for. Nobody wants to be a “has been” or a “never was.”

RICHARD YAP: As long as I have the passion for the job, and there are still roles I can play, I don’t think I would be quitting any time soon. For now, the only thing that could trigger that would be if I needed to work full-time in my business. But, so far, I can still manage to do both.

RHIAN RAMOS: Show biz can really be toxic as you can get things in excess. There’s too much to do, too many people to talk to, too much temptation, too much politics, and too many expectations to fulfill.

Rhian Ramos

When you’re up, you’re soaring. But, when you’re down, you’re trampled on—and it only gets more extreme, the higher up the food chain you are. I think if I didn’t develop the ability to just say no a few years ago, I would’ve been doing something else by now.

Best kind of love?

We gave Star Cinema’s heartwarming movie, “Seven Sundays,” a grade of A at the Cinema Evaluation Board. It will hit you in all the right spots. My good friends, Aga Muhlach and Dingdong Dantes, could really pass for brothers. They and the rest of the cast jelled perfectly. The film redefines what family truly is. It reminds us that forgiveness is the best kind of love.

I heard that my friend from way back, Gabby Concepcion, is selling a hectare of his beachfront property in Batangas. View location of property on Google maps by searching: “Gabby Concepcion beach house.” Any takers?

Personal: From the bottom of my happy heart, many thanks to Tati and Loy Fortuna of my original “headquarters,” Watering Hole (on Burgos Circle, BGC), for such a fun post-birthday party, to my cool cousin Ronnie Joseph of Ralph’s Liquor, my fab cousin Charisse Tinio of Nice Print for the coverage, my angel Mikee Dava and all my close friends (you know who you are) for being my “birthday wishes come true.”