Showbiz Roundup: Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo, Bea Alonzo, Xian Lim and more

Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and two others were found guilty in the serious illegal detention case filed by Vhong Navarro in 2014, as they were slapped with a 40-year sentence by the Taguig Regional Trial Court.

Another court story is Bea Alonzo’s filing of three separate cyber libel cases against Ogie Diaz, Cristy Fermin, their co-hosts in their respective programs, and an unnamed individual.

On the other hand, Xian Lim finally put the relationship rumors between himself and Iris Lee to rest, saying they’re “very happy” in a tell-all interview.

Francine Diaz, meanwhile, was accused of cutting in the performance of Orange & Lemons at an event in Occidental Mindoro, although netizens pointed out that it was a mistake made by the organizers.

Catching up with the latest showbiz news? Be updated with the hottest entertainment news covering the period April 26 to May 2.

Cedric and Deniece’s 40-year imprisonment

Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and two other companions were sentenced to 40 years’ imprisonment by the Taguig Regional Trial Court following their conviction in connection with the serious illegal detention case filed by actor-host Vhong Navarro in 2014.

Taguig RTC Presiding Judge Mariam Bien found Lee, Cornejo and their companions, Ferdinand Guerrero and Simeon Palma Raz, “guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the crime of serious illegal detention for ransom,” a non-bailable offense that carries reclusion perpetua, or 20-40 years’ imprisonment.

They were also ordered to jointly and severally pay P300,000 in civil indemnity, and moral and exemplary damages.

Subsequently, the trial court canceled the bail bond the accused posted at the start of the trial for their temporary liberty.

“They will be immediately committed and detained. Since Cedric Lee and Ferdinand Guerrero were not in court during the promulgation, the two have been ordered arrested,” Alma Mallonga, Navarro’s lawyer, said.

On Jan. 22, 2014, Navarro filed the case against Lee and the others for allegedly detaining him illegally after Cornejo had accused him of raping her. He was not only severely mauled but also threatened and intimidated with guns, based on the court manifestations.

Lee filed a motion to dismiss the case, but the Taguig court denied his motion. He then took his case to the Court of Appeals, which affirmed the lower court’s ruling.

Bea Alonzo vs Cristy Fermin, Ogie Diaz

Bea Alonzo filed three separate cyber libel complaints against Cristy Fermin and Ogie Diaz, including their co-hosts in their respective online programs, and an unnamed netizen who pretended to be speaking on behalf of the actress on May 2.

Alonzo filed the charges before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, entertainment journalist Nelson Canlas reported on his social media platforms. She was accompanied by her manager, Shirley Kuan, and her lawyer, Joey Garcia.

According to the actress’ camp, she became a victim of “false, malicious, and damaging information,” by respondents Fermin and Diaz through their shows as well as an unnamed individual who purportedly knew Alonzo personally.

“Naghain ng tatlong magkakahiwalay na criminal case for cyber libel si Bea Alonzo sa Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office,” Canlas said in the report. “Nakasaad sa complaint affidavit ni Bea na naging biktima siya ng mali, malisyoso at mga mapanirang impormasyon na mula sa nagpanggap na malapit sa kanya at inilathala at pinag usapan sa online shows nina Fermin at Diaz ng walang basehan.”

Xian Lim and Iris Lee’s romance

Four months after his breakup with Kim Chiu, Xian Lim finally confirmed he is dating film producer Iris Lee in an exclusive interview with Esquire Philippines.

Lee, a producer under Viva Communications Inc., is best known for producing the films “Bird Day” (2016), “Deleter” (2022) and “Hello, Universe!” (2023), where she worked together with Lim.

“Yes, I’m seeing Iris… Just to clear everything, to clear all the speculations. We are seeing each other and we are very happy,” Lim said.

Lim also denied that a third party was involved in his split with his ex-girlfriend of 12 years Kim Chiu, or that Lee played a role in their breakup. He also dismissed other rumors that he had gotten married abroad or he was already living in with someone.

Before confirming their relationship, Lim and Lee were seen together while location-scouting in Thailand, though they were there with a few other companions.

Last Dec. 23, 2023, Chiu and Lim confirmed their split, with the actress saying it was the “end of [their 12-year] love story.”

Francine Diaz vs Orange & Lemons?

Orange & Lemons reportedly walked out on stage after Francine Diaz allegedly cut in during their supposed performance at an event in Occidental Mindoro.

In videos making rounds online, the band was already on stage when Diaz entered, greeted the audience, and cued the music for her performance. Behind her, it can be noticed that the band was dismayed and was in a discussion with staff.

Diaz was then forced to do an a cappella of her performance because no one was starting the music for her.

In a separate video, the band’s lead guitarist, Clementine Castro, said that they had been waiting for a while to do their performance, so no one should “cut the line.”

“Gusto ko lang manghingi ng paumanhin pero kailangan ko sabihin ‘to para sa mga artist kasi dapat kanina pa kaming 11 dito so sana naman walang sumisingit. Respeto lang ba,” he said

In the comments of one of the videos on Facebook, one staff from the sound system department disclosed that in their line-up, Diaz was supposed to be the last to perform, so they did not know who to follow as they were both onstage.

“Hindi po namin alam kung sino po ang susundin namin, nasa program po lahat, na last po si maam francine, pero siningit po ng manager ni maam francine na siya unahin kahit hindi po nila nasabihan ang orange and lemon,” he wrote.

“May program po kaming sinusunod, hindi lang po nagkaintindihan yung manager, organizer, at host ng event. Kami po kung ano lang yung sinabi nila yun lang po sinusunod namin, kaya po kahit kami nagulat sa nangyari. Nagtatanong po kami every 5 minutes sa organizer para malaman po namin kung ano magiging hakbang po namin sa event,” added the staff.

Some netizens argued that Diaz should not be blamed for the mishap, but that the organizers deserved to be called out for mishandling the lineup.

After the event, Diaz shared on Instagram one of the gifts she received from fans and thanked them for staying even though her performance started late. “Respect goes both ways,” a part of her caption read.

‘May kapiling ka nang iba!’

Daniel Padilla can seemingly relate to the song “Hinahanap-Hanap Kita” as he cursed out and tweaked parts of its lyrics during his birthday party in Tanauan, Batangas.

The actor, who turned 29 last April 26, entertained his guests with a performance with a band, as seen in the videos shared on Facebook by one of the attendees, Ted Padilla Evangelista.

One of the song numbers that apparently stood out to the audience was Padilla’s version of the Rivermaya song, as the actor added a few lyric changes to it.

He drew cheers after he belted out: “Pati lupang pinagsamahan / Mukha yatang nilimot na / Ng puso mong biglang lumisan / At ngayon, pu******* may kapiling ka nang iba!”

Some fans were then intrigued if Padilla was alluding to his former girlfriend, actress Kathryn Bernardo, who has been linked to actors Alden Richards and Jericho Rosales.

Padilla addressed the viral video in an interview with entertainment journalist MJ Marfori via Tiktok last May 1.

“Ang OA ng mga tao. Masyadong OA ang mga tao. Nage-enjoy lang ako. Relax,” he said.

Kaila Estrada grateful to parents for ‘normal life’

Kaila Estrada has nothing but gratitude for her parents Janice de Belen and John Estrada, for allowing her to live a “completely normal life” even though they were in the public eye.

During a brief interview at a brand event, Kaila said the “best thing” her parents did was allow her to live life as it is when asked what she’s most thankful for.

“I feel like in my situation, my parents were in the public eye and I feel like the best thing they ever did was to make me experience a completely normal life and a normal childhood,” she said.

Kaila added that de Belen and Estrada did “so much” for her while growing up. “They gave us the freedom to make mistakes and to grow from our mistakes. That’s just at the top of my head but there’s so much more that I would like to thank them for,” she said.

When asked about her relationship with her stepmother Priscilla Meirelles, Kaila said they are “very much” on good terms. Meirelles is the wife of Estrada since February 2011.

“Our relationship is really good. We don’t get to see our dad often kasi busy kaming lahat ngayon. We probably see each other once a month so we really try to find time [to bond],” she said.

No co-parenting setup

Linda Marie Gorton, Dennis Padilla’s Filipino-Australian ex-girlfriend, denied they had a “formal conversation” about co-parenting their children, saying Padilla only wanted to be in contact with their kids Gavin and Maddie.

Gorton was reacting to Padilla’s April 12 interview with entertainment journalist Aster Amoyo, in which he claimed that he and his ex-partner were co-parenting their children, and that he was providing child support for them. He also shared that he had applied for a visa to visit them in Australia.

On Instagram on April 28, Gorton said that no such “formal conversation” about co-parenting their kids took place between her and Padilla.

“We don’t have a co-parenting setup because since we parted ways in July of 2020, we never had a formal conversation about our separation and how we will raise our kids. Basta nakakausap niya lang ang mga bata,” she said.

Gorton further said Padilla never showed “consistency in child support,” pointing out that “there were many lapses” on the actor’s end, where it came to the point that she had to “persistently ask” for the former’s help.

“Consistency in child support wasn’t always the case. Through the years, there were many lapses in between. And many times I had to, and still have to persistently ask for it kasi kung papabayaan ko matagal at kulang kulang ang padala,” she said. “Because I also work here, ako ang nagpuno sa mga pagkukulang na iyon.”

Gorton then denied Padilla’s claim on how tough it is to financially support their Australia-based children, saying their expenses are “normal” knowing that “no tuition is needed” since they go to a public school.

“It was never about financial problems. I stayed with him for almost 12 years, mayroon man kami o walang pera. I stayed for him and I stayed for the kids because I wanted a complete family for all of us. But just like most things in life, you can’t have everything you want,” she added

Padilla has yet to respond to Gorton’s statement as of this writing.

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TAGS: Bea Alonzo, Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo, Francine Diaz, Xian Lim