Showbiz Roundup: Dominic Roque-Bea Alonzo’s rumored split, and more

February is the month of love, but Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque’s split is a painful reminder that love is sometimes not enough to make a relationship last.

Meanwhile, Kathryn Bernardo was emotional after renewing her contract with ABS-CBN’s Star Magic, saying the past year had been “very, very hard” for her.

In other news, South Korean vlogger Tzuyang and comedian Kim Ji-young were in hot water after they were accused of mocking Filipinos’ accents and way of living. On the other hand, Carla Abellana came under fire after she was accused of selling “abused” or overpriced preloved luxury items.

Start the first week of February with a bang by keeping up with INQUIRER.net’s hottest showbiz news from the week of Feb. 2 to 8.

Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque’s ‘split’

Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque have indeed split, as confirmed by talk show host-entertainment columnist Boy Abunda, also citing unnamed sources.

On the Feb. 6 episode of his talk show, Abunda said they had parted ways and that he, too, was shocked by the turnout of their relationship. “Meron akong balita na ikinalungkot ko: naghiwalay na sina Bea Alonzo and Dominic Roque.”

“Nalulungkot talaga [ako] dahil madalas kapag nagkikita kami ni Bea ay nagkaka-kwentuhan kami tungkol sa buhay, tungkol sa kanila, their marriage plans, etc. Tama si Ogie Diaz,” continued Abunda. “As we talk today, yes, hiwalay na po sina Dominic at tsaka si Bea.”

Abunda did not say who confirmed the breakup to him. However, he noted that the couple is still in the process of repairing their relationship.

“They’re going through a rough patch. Magtatagumpay ba si Dominic sa panunuyo kay Bea? Hindi natin masasagot ang katanungan,” he added.

Abunda’s report seemingly gave credence to earlier reports of the couple parting ways that swirled in entertainment circles since January. This followed a series of events that cued the alleged breakup, such as several incidents where Alonzo was sighted without her engagement ring, and Roque switching off the comments section on his Instagram posts and even their evident lack of interaction on social media.

Alonzo and Roque announced their engagement in July 2023 and were supposed to tie the knot sometime in 2024.

Bea-Dominic’s people go cryptic

Roque and Alonzo have yet to make a clear statement about their split, but their inner circles appeared to have been throwing bombs at the opposite camp on social media.

The initial salvo was thrown by Roque’s brother Lhean, who dropped a photo of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He later on clarified that his post was a work-related issue, and not related to his “Ate Bea.”

Meanwhile, Alonzo’s road manager Nina Ferrer and makeup artist Ting Duque spoke up against a certain “manipulative sad boi” although they didn’t disclose who they were referring to.

“Manipulative sad boi. Any guy who’ll try to convince someone that they’re the victim of the situation. They’ll make you believe that you’re in the wrong and that you’re the one who should be feeling guilty. Toying with your mind, they’re seriously just bad news,” Ferrer’s post on Threads read. She also fired at a certain “hustler” days later.

Duque then reposted Ferrer’s post on her account, saying, “They should be stopped.”

Roque, without confirming nor denying his split with Bea, broke his silence by sharing a compilation of his unforgettable moments with the actress on his accounts.

“Bea’s a beautiful person inside and out. No hate, bashing, or negative things, please,” he wrote.

Kathryn’s contract signing

Amid the happy occasion of her contract renewal with ABS-CBN on Feb. 2, Kathryn Bernardo broke down in tears as she reflected on her journey as a Kapamilya and looked back on the hurdles she faced in 2023.

“In 2020, I made a promise. Sinabi ko sa ABS-CBN na hindi kita iiwan at nandito lang ako hanggang makabangon ka ulit. And today, here I am, fulfilling that promise,” she said. “Ang daming nangyari sa ABS-CBN but mahal ko eh — mahal ko sobra ‘yung kompanya. Together, we will rise despite all the challenges. We’ll be stronger and even better.”

Bernardo acknowledged that 2023 was “very, very hard” for her. She then addressed her friends and family — including her mom Min who was emotional as well during the event — expressing her appreciation for them for “making everything so much better.”

She also extended her appreciation to her fans for giving her the “freedom to choose what will make [her] happy.”

“Maraming salamat kasi inintindi niyo lahat ng kailangan kong gawin ang mga naging desisyon namin bilang tao, hindi bilang artista,” she said, apparently referring to her much-publicized breakup with longtime boyfriend Daniel Padilla last Nov. 30.

Were Tzuyang and Kim Ji-young racist?

Tzuyang and Kim Ji-young came under fire after they were accused of mocking Filipinos’ accents and their ways of living in a mukbang vlog.

In a now-deleted video on Jan. 28, Tzuyang and Kim — under the character of Ni Tong — was described as a Filipino who flew to South Korea to marry a Korean man. The video has since been re-uploaded by netizens on social media.

“Hello, my name is Ni Tong and I have a beautiful smile. Originally, I was a farmer’s wife but now I’m a comedian,” Kim said, while purposely speaking in broken Korean.

The comedian, who remained in character, also shared that she came to Korea after “fantasizing about Korean men after watching K-dramas.” This led to an amused Tzuyang asking Kim how the latter was able to “mimic a Filipino accent” so well.

Tzuyang and Kim drew backlash from netizens on social media, with some pointing out that the video was a “disrespectful way of Pinoy-baiting.” Others said the vlog is a form of “stereotyping” Filipinos.

The backlash led to Tzuyang apologizing to her subscribers while asserting she has “a lot of respect for the Philippines” in a pinned post in the comments section.

Tzuyang also admitted that she was unaware that her video would be “offensive” to other viewers.

Kim has yet to issue a statement, as of this writing.

Carla Abellana’s pre-loved items

Carla Abellana came under fire from netizens who called her out for allegedly “overpricing” some personal and “abused” items she is selling online.

Following the backlash, Abellana took to her Threads account to speak up against “mean people” who made such remarks about her preloved items on Instagram.

“People can be so mean. So mean,” she said after the backlash circulated on other social media platforms.

Abellana made a separate Instagram account where she sold preowned bags and shoes from her closet. The posts drew backlash, with some pointing out the alleged rundown condition of some of the items, while others said the price is not justifiable considering their condition.

“Kahit pa branded tapos ganyan quality? ‘Wag na lang nagbebenta kayo tapos ganyan ano tingin niyo sa mga tao? Bumibili ng basura?” argued IG user @warmhugspup.

“Nakakahiya naman po ngayon lang ako nakakita ng artistang naka preloved benta kaso abused lahat nang gamit. Halatang hindi marunong mag alaga ng mga gamit na branded,” said another netizen.

Despite majority of the backlash, some defended Abellana, explaining that she is being honest about the “true condition” of the items. Others explained that the proceeds of the sales are more likely to go “to help animals,” given that the actress is a known advocate for animal protection.

“May mga items lang na di naayos muna bago picturan, but maybe she is trying to make prospective buyers see the items in their real state or condition. Overall, mas lamang iyong mga items na magaganda pa. Exaggerated naman iyong iba di naman bibili o walang pambili tapos wagas makapintas,” reasoned @villabosmaricar.

“Grabe, dami namang negatron dito. Kung di ka bibili ng sa tingin mo is ‘used and abused’ na preloved, hindi ikaw ang target market at lalo’t higit sa lahat hindi hinihingi ang opinyon niyo para ijudge yung binebenta ni Carla,” lamented another fan.