Timeline: Dennis Padilla and kids Julia, Claudia, Leon Barretto’s family dispute

(From left) Dennis Padilla, Leon Barretto, Julia Barretto, Claudia Barretto and Basti Lorenzo. Image: Instagram/@dennisastig; TikTok/@mindcl0uds

For years, the public feud between actor-comedian Dennis Padilla and his children — Julia, Claudia and Leon Barretto — has played out like a slow-burning family drama, marked by social media jabs and interviews centered on their emotional estrangement. 

As tensions continue to simmer between the father and the kids, which was evident during Claudia’s wedding, let’s look back at the key moments that have shaped their complex family dynamics.

December 2014: Julia ‘ignores’ his father at a Christmas party

In December 2014, Padilla said that he was hurt that his firstborn, Julia, “snubbed” him at Dreamscape’s Christmas party, which reportedly stemmed from the former’s disapproval of his daughter’s petition to change her surname from Baldivia (Padilla’s legal surname) to Barretto (her mother, Marjorie Barretto’s surname).

The following month, Marjorie explained in an interview that Julia was “scared” to approach his father at the said Christmas party because Padilla reportedly said hurtful words in connection with the surname petition.

“When people told her that Dennis was there, ang totoo non, she was scared,” the celebrity mom told the press at the time. “Nung November 25, nag-text si Julia sa kanya. Sinagot niya ng maraming masasakit na salita […] Siguro hindi sanay ‘yung bata na pagsalitaan siya ng masakit… they retreat, they get scared, they go back to their shell.”

Marjorie also explained that given the nature of the situation, Padilla should be the first to approach his daughter.

READ: Dennis Padilla’s brother calls out Claudia Barretto, siblings for ‘disrespect’

February 2015: Julia invited his father to her 18th birthday party

Two months after the “snubbing” incident, Julia made a public gesture toward reconciliation by posting a photo with Padilla on Instagram, captioning it, “Papa being his comedian self.” The picture was reported to have been taken after the young actress visited her father on the set to give him a formal invitation to her debut party.

On March 10, Padilla attended Julia’s 18th birthday. At the time, the father and daughter agreed to leave the past behind after the latter withdrew her petition to change her surname legally.

Julia also clarified that her reconciliation with her father was not a publicity stunt1 for her debut, saying, “I can’t even embrace that thought. It’s very false. He’s my dad, why wouldn’t I want to be okay with my dad and have him there sa special day ko? I made up with him because I want to be okay with my own father, not for anybody.”

September 2015: Legal battle over Julia’s surname change

Despite Julia previously saying that she had withdrawn her petition for a surname change, Padilla said that his daughter hasn’t formally withdrawn her case, which made him file a motion to intervene. 

However, Padilla later withdrew his motion, stating that he was already tired of the legal battle. 

“Kasi, number one, kahit manalo ako, kunyari manalo ako na dapat pa rin niyang gamitin ang family name ko, 18 na siya, eh. She can still remove it. Kasi karapatan na ng 18-year-old, dahil adult na siya, na magpalit ng family name,” he said at the press conference of his movie “Maria Labo.”

June 2022: Padilla and Leon’s social media exchanges

In June 2022, Padilla took to Instagram to express his disappointment over not receiving Father’s Day greetings from his children. He shared posts highlighting this absence, which he later deleted. 

A few days later, his youngest, Leon, responded with an open letter on Instagram, addressing the public nature of his father’s grievances. He recounted years of attempting to rebuild their relationship, criticizing Padilla’s habit of airing private matters publicly, and expressing the emotional toll it took on him and his sisters. Leon pleaded for an end to the public shaming, stating, “Can you please stop resorting to public shaming when things don’t go your way?”

Image: Instagram/@theleonbarretto

Padilla responded to his son and apologized, expressing his longing to reconnect. He questioned the “false narrative” he was accused of spreading and reiterated his attempts to reach out privately over the years.

At the time, Padilla also took a jab at Julia’s interview with Karen Davila, in which she discussed the lack of fatherly love and protection. The celebrity dad addressed the interview in a series of now-deleted Instagram posts. 

He expressed feelings of betrayal and questioned Julia’s sentiments, stating, “Ako ang dapat takbuhan mo julia…. I defended you pero nagalit pa kayo sa akin… Sobra kayo… Ano etong mga kwento mo kay Karen??”

Padilla remarked that he has apologized multiple times but it still wasn’t enough for his children.

April 2025: Claudia’s wedding

Days before the wedding, Padilla reconnected with his children as he shared photos on Instagram of their intimate gathering.

On April 8, Claudia married her longtime boyfriend, Basti Lorenzo, in an intimate ceremony. The feud between the father and his children once again stepped up after Padilla publicly lamented that he was treated like a “visitor” and was not included in the entourage.

In an interview with Ogie Diaz posted on the night of April 9, Padilla declared that he is “permanently” done mending his relationship with his children, citing the “visitor” treatment in the wedding as his last straw.