Ara Mina explains why Cristine Reyes was emotional after MMFF Gabi ng Parangal

Ara Mina came to the defense of her half-sister Cristine Reyes after the latter was seen crying while leaving the venue of the 2024 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Gabi ng Parangal, saying Reyes was in distress as their mother had been taken to the hospital.

Reyes caught the attention of netizens after she rushed out of the Solaire Grand Ballroom in Parañaque last Friday, Dec. 27, as seen in a clip from one @el.mere03 on TikTok, which led to numerous speculations about the actress.

@el.mere03MMFF50GabingParangal♬ Sad song by piano and violin(886018) – NOVA

It turns out that Reyes was in a rush to leave the event due to their mother’s confinement in the hospital, according to a brief statement on Mina’s Instagram Story on Monday, Dec. 30.

Also included is a photo of Reyes taking care of their mother at the hospital.

“I took this picture around 2:39 a.m. while we were in the [emergency room]. Our mom is in the hospital, which is why she left the MMFF Awards Night crying,” Mina wrote.

The actress previously uploaded a photo of Reyes sitting by their mother’s bedside hours after the MMFF Gabi ng Parangal.

“Earlier, I was with my sister Cristine as we waited for our mom to be transferred from the [emergency room] to her room,” she captioned her post.

Reyes has yet to address the video as of this writing.

The actress, who starred as Dayang Matimyas Nandula in the MMFF 2024 entry “The Kingdom,” was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Gabi ng Parangal. She earned the nod with fellow nominees Chanda Romero, Lorna Tolentino, Gabby Padilla, Nadine Lustre and eventual winner Kakki Teodoro.