Showbiz Roundup: Sarah Lahbati, Richard Gutierrez’s alleged split

(From left) Sarah Lahbati, Richard Gutierrez, Annabelle Rama, Abdel Lahbati. FILE PHOTOS

It seems like the season of breakups continues in the second week of December, as numerous speculations on the rumored split of Sarah Lahbati and Richard Gutierrez continue to make noise in entertainment circles.

Though neither Lahbati nor Gutierrez have yet to confirm the split, the issue is further marred by the veiled word war between their in-laws, Gutierrez’s mother, screen veteran-talent manager Annabelle Rama, and the actress’ father Abdel Lahbati.

Meanwhile, Joshua Garcia is caught in the breakup of Kathryn Bernardi and Daniel Padilla as he branded as “fake news” reports linking Padilla to Andrea Brillantes. Meanwhile, Brillantes’ mother went out of her way to defend her daughter on social media.

On the other hand, Heaven Peralejo opened up about initially wanting to quit showbiz,

Celebrate the holiday season on an explosive note as we look back at INQUIRER.net’s hottest showbiz stories from Dec. 8 to 14.

Annabelle Rama’s swipe at Sarah Lahbati

Annabelle Rama, Sarah Lahbati and Richard Gutierrez. Image: Instagram/@annabelleramaig, @sarahlahbati

While Annabelle Rama did not confirm the breakup rumors hounding the marriage of Gutierrez with Lahbati, the Gutierrez matriarch disclosed that the actor has been staying in her house for a month now.

Rama said this after she was asked about Richard and Lahbati’s relationship status, in an exclusive interview by ABS-CBN reporter MJ Felipe last Dec. 7.

“Hindi pa ko pwede magsalita eh pero sasabihin ko sa ‘yo, si Richard na sa akin ngayon,” she said, saying Richard will move to a house in Alabang after Christmas. Rama further revealed that the couple’s two sons, Zion and Kai, are currently with her son. As for the rumors of a feud between her and Lahbati, she said, “Hindi ko siya nakakausap. Wala akong time makipag-usap sa kanila.”

Rama, without directly naming the actress, then told Felipe, “Nakikita mo naman ‘diba?… Si Richard trabaho nang trabaho, ‘yung isa nagwawaldas ng pera. ‘Yun lang ang masasabi ko diyan.”

Rama added that despite working tirelessly, Richard was welcomed with “dispute” after he returned to Manila. The celebrity mom also revealed that the whole Gutierrez family, except for one, whom she didn’t name, will celebrate the holiday season in Japan.

“Maghintay na lang kayo kasi malalaman niyo rin. Not now,” Ramad was quoted as saying.

Richard and Lahbati, who got married in March 2020, welcomed their firstborn Zion in 2013 and their second child Kai in 2018. They have yet to address the breakup allegations, as of this writing.

Breakup speculations have been hounding them since November, after netizens noticed that the pair have only shown photos of their individual bonding moments with their sons on their respective social media pages.

‘Gigil na ako isiwalat ang katotohanan’

Annabelle Rama with Sarah Lahbati and Richard Gutierrez. Image: Instagram/@annabelleramaig

Annabelle Rama slammed rumormongers who accused her of being the reason behind Gutierrez’s falling-out with Lahbati.

A day after she broke her silence on the breakup speculations hounding Richard and Lahbati, Rama addressed the netizens via her Instagram page last Dec. 8, telling them to stop spreading “false stories.”

Rama stressed that the public should not put the blame on her on the matter as she had no idea how everything happened so fast.

“Sino ba ang may gustong maghiwalay sila? Ako ba? Or ang mag-ina?” she stated. “Nagulat na lang ako biglang dumating ang nanay at tatay galing ibang bansa. Doon na nag umpisa ang malaking gulo. Wag niyo ibagsak sa akin ang sisi.”

While Rama did not name who were the individuals she was referring to, it can be noted that Lahbati has been frequently seen spending time with her parents—Moroccan dad Abdel and Filipino mom Estrella.

“Kung hindi ako pinagbawalan ng lawyer na magsalita, mag-enjoy sana ang buong mundo sa sasabihin kong kwento. Gigil na gigil na akong isiwalat ang katotohanan sa pangyayari pero wala akong magawa,” Rama added, teasing netizens to “watch out for the next chapter.”

“Basta ako ayaw ko silang maghiwalay [dahil] mahal ko ang mga apo ko,” she stressed.

Sarah’s dad hits at ‘dogs barking’

(From left) Abdel Lahbati, Sarah Lahbati. Image: Instagram/@sarahlahbati

Netizens were intrigued after Sarah Lahbati’s father, Abdel, dropped a cryptic remark on not minding the “dogs barking,” on Instagram last Dec. 9.

His post showed a glimpse of what seemed to be an intimate get-together with his family, where Sarah and her sons Kai and Zion were present.

“Enjoying every moment with family. The convoy keeps going and don’t mind dogs barking,” he wrote, although he didn’t address anyone in particular.

Abdel’s post, however, caught the attention of netizens in the comments, with some speculating that he might be referring to his daughter’s mother-in-law, seasoned actress Annabelle Rama.

Others thanked Abdel for showing his support to his daughter amid her apparent marital woes, while some hoped that Sarah and Richard’s parents would leave the pair alone to work on their relationship.

Without revealing who he was pertaining to, he nonetheless thanked netizens for their “love and support” in the comments.

Joshua Garcia’s denial

Andrea Brillantes, Daniel Padilla and Joshua Garcia. Image: Instagram/@blythe, @garciajoshuae

Joshua Garcia spoke against “false” reports claiming he “snitched” on his close friend Daniel Padilla, and supposedly confirmed the third-party allegations against Andrea Brillantes.

Garcia shared a screenshot of a quote card showing he purportedly commented on Padilla’s breakup with Kathryn Bernardo. The “Unbreak My Heart” star slammed the post as “fake news” through his X (formerly Twitter) page last Dec. 11.

The post includes a photo of Garcia and a statement that reads: “Matagal na kitang sinabihan na ayusin mo ‘yung ginagawa mo at ‘yung relasyon niyo ni Kath, pero hindi mo ginawa at tinuloy mo ‘yung mga kalokohang ginagawa niyo ni Andrea.”

The quote card was apparently taken from the post of Facebook satire page Breaking News. The post has garnered more than 90,000 reactions as of this writing.

On Nov. 30, Padilla and Bernardo, who had been in a relationship since 2012, each made their split public. In her statement, Bernardo admitted that she and Padilla “have been drifting apart for a while now.”

Before their confirmation, breakup rumors hounded the pair after showbiz insiders claimed that the actor had allegedly been meeting secretly with Brillantes.

Neither the ex-partners nor Brillantes have addressed the allegations so far, however, Bernardo caught the attention of netizens after she unfollowed the “Kadenang Ginto” star on social media.

Heaven Peralejo wants to leave showbiz

Heaven Peralejo

Heaven Peralejo admitted that her mom’s recent health scare made her realize how short life is and how much one’s time spent with loved ones should be valued.

“She is doing good now,” Heaven said of her mom, Shirley Luanne, who successfully battled uterine cancer seven years ago. In 2022, Heaven said in an interview that a tumor had been spotted on her mom’s chest.

“She’s in a good state now,” she insisted. “We’re supporting each other. She’s also my manager. When she got sick, that’s when I realized how short life truly is, how we shouldn’t be too caught up with all the drama of it. Whatever conflict we have with other people, we should resolve them right away. It was when I realized that my mama is a fighter and that I should be one, too.”

Heaven then recalled two specific points in her career when she thought of giving up. “Of course, when I left the PBB house, so many things were happening all at the same time. I wasn’t sure if I’d still continue doing show biz. I was only 16 at the time. But my mama said, ‘You’re gonna fight. You’re meant for this.’” Heaven told reporters during her launch as a Calendar Girl of an alcohol brand

“I’m glad I listened to her. I really love my job, so whatever hurtful words other people throw my way in order to force me to quit, I will keep on fighting,” she said. “The second one was before I agreed to do ‘Nanahimik ang Gabi.’ Before that movie offer, I was thinking what my next job would be. I thought, ‘Maybe audiences don’t like to watch me anymore;’ and then I was given that project. It was then that I realized, ‘No. I’m not going to quit. I will fight for this job.’ Look at me now.”

Heaven eventually became part of the suspense-drama “Linlang” and romantic series “The Rain in España.” She is currently working on a crime story titled “Out of Service,” opposite Alden Richards, who is also directing and co-producing the movie with Viva Entertainment.

‘Pano mo siya pinalaki?’

Andrea Brillantes (R) and her mom Belle. Image: Instagram/@belle_brillantes

Andrea Brillantes’ mom, Belle, did not hold back as she slammed a netizen who questioned the upbringing of her daughter, amid the third-party allegations hounding the actress.

Belle lamented the “hatred in the internet” which supposedly turned netizens into a “bunch of savages,” through her Instagram page last Dec. 2.

“Spread all that hate and lies; these negativity will not break my spirit,” Belle said. “I am thankful for being alive, my kids and my mom being healthy. I’m surrounded by people with so much love and compassion.”

Belle, who appears to have recently joined a freedive competition, then underscored that she will complete her goal despite the noise. “Bahala kayo dyan lahat magkagulo,” she added.

In the comments section, one Instagram user seemed to have associated Belle’s post with the rumors involving her actress daughter.

“Papano mo kaya pinalaki si Andrea no?” the netizen asked, to which Belle replied, “Paano? Napagtapos niya sa school mga kapatid niya, nakapagpagawa ng bahay, may sariling negosyo.”

In an apparent annoyed manner, she continued, “Ikaw, anong ambag mo sa mundo?”

The user’s comment can no longer be seen on Belle’s Instagram comments section but screenshots of it have been re-uploaded on social media.

In a separate post, Belle also noted how the netizens who criticize her are the same ones who have been following her on her social media account.