Bea Alonzo’s ex-manager Shirley Kuan breaks silence on exit, denies ‘cash cow’ claims

Updated 9 p.m.

Shirley Kuan, the former manager of Bea Alonzo has finally spoken out about her decision to part ways with the actress amid allegations of meddling into the actress’ personal life.

At a press conference called, Kuan fired back at critics as she defended herself from supposed attacks by unnamed individuals who accused her of supposedly trying to block Alonzo from marrying businessman Vincent Co for fear that she might lose her “cash cow,”

Kuan said she tendered her resignation last August 11, but that it was not entirely true that she resigned because Alonzo failed to defend her or speak up on the matter when her Spanish wedding to Co got canceled. She said that she confronted the actress on Friday, August 21 because the “attacks” against her was persisting even though they have already parted ways.

“I feel that it’s time for me to tell the truth and defend myself. Kasi parang mali yung mga sinusulat na nagtampo ako kase di ako pinagtanggol. Nagmukha akong weakling, bakit ko hinihintay na ipagtanggol ako ni Bea. Kaya ko naman ipagtanggol ang sarili ko ko, but you have to know why,” she said.

READ: Bea Alonzo, Vincent Co not split but continents apart on ‘wedding day’

Last straw

What proved to be the “last straw” in their professional relationship was when the veteran talent manager got disinvited from an event for an endorsement deal that she had helped close for Alonzo.

“There was this event, that was my deal. I closed that event, I was talking to the client and I was told that I was disinvited. And I already know what happened, even if the client didn’t want to tell me…. Basta I already know who he is. And I told them. Sabi, ‘Huwag ka magalit, babawi kami sa iyo,'” she told reporters.

“Hindi ako galit, but I’ll be a hypocrite if I tell you that I was not offended. Because this has never been done to me. Wala naman akong kasalanan, what have I done? That’s not something I can accept. And I told Bea, that’s the last straw,” she added.

When pressed who she thought gave the order to disinvite her, Kuan said, “I don’t wanna tell… Let’s just say, clients were told (but) they won’t tell me. Let’s just do the math.”

Alonzo insisted that she knew nothing about the incident, which took place August 10. Kuan resigned the following day.

“So I told Bea that’s the last straw. After that she said, ‘I didn’t know about that.’ And so I told her, ‘As of this very moment, as of this very day I am no longer your manager,'” she said.

The talent manager said she did not say anything when an article came out blaming her as the “culprit or the meddler” for Alonzo and Co’s canceled wedding in Spain. But Kuan said she did immediately call her up to clarify matters. She said that at the time, she was asked by Alonzo to discreetly tell the guests that the wedding was off.

“Sabi ko, ‘We both know the truth, right?’ And sabi nya agad sa’kin, ‘Please SK (Kuan) promise me you won’t say anything. Kasi ayoko nang lumaki pa.’ Syempre pagbibigyan mo yung alaga mo na heartbroken at that time. You’ll try to accommodate her wishes kase ayaw niya sigurong lumaki na. So talaga I kept quiet. But ayaw tumigil, dahil hindi ako sumasagot, lalong ako tinitira. And patindi na ng patindi. But because I promised her, I kept quiet. In other words, she did not allow me to defend myself,” she said.

“Sunod-sunod yan e, it’s a series. Hindi naman yan porke siniraan ako one time, magreresign na ako. Tiniis ko lahat yan, pati yung pinagbibintangan akong ako yung nagsasabi about the (cancellation of the) wedding. Tiniis ko lahat yan,” she added.

As for allegations that she tried to prevent Alonzo and Co’s wedding because she might lose a lucrative portion of her income once they are married.

“I find that very insulting. parang tingin nila sa akin pulubi, na parang pag wala na si Bea sa akin magugutom na ako. At saka tanungin nyo maski sino dito sa showbiz, more than 30 years na ako dito. Meron bang magsasabi sa inyo na nang harbat ako ng pera or i cheated my artists out of their talent fee, meron bang ganon? Meron bang impression dito na mahirap ako? I just want to make this clear. Bea did not make me rich, nor will she make me poor. So stop calling her my cash cow,” she said.

‘You never defended me’

Upon tendering her resignation, Kuan also confronted Alonzo for not defending her, or at least spoke for her when the attacks became persistent. It also appeared that Kuan was seemingly left out of some details of Alonzo’s plans.

“She said, ‘How did it come to this?’ I said, I don’t know. I have no idea bakit ako sinisiraan nonstop. I said, ‘Bea you never defended me. Hindi mo ako pinagtanggol e.’ I said that… pero sa akin, you could have told whoever that is the truth. Wala akong alam dyan, hindi ako nakialam ever. So I said, I promised her that I will not make another announcement about the resignation. But I said, one more, tirahin pa ako isa, you are giving me no choice but to defend myself. Because enough is enough.”

“The least she could have done was to tell these people to stop. Because [she knew] the truth. But again, I’m not taking that against her anymore. What triggered me to talk was this talent manager who [inaudible]. What triggered me to resign was I was disinvited. I felt offended. In Tagalog, binastos ako at nabastusan ako. Siguro naman at my level, I don’t think I will allow that being done to me,” she added.

Alonzo and Co were supposed to tie the knot on May 14 in Spain, where the actress is maintaining a home, but this did not materialize after the couple had a misunderstanding. The couple eventually got married in civil rites before Makati Mayor Nancy Binay a month later.

The veteran talent manager said that at that time she did not take Alonzo’s silence against her because she had just had her civil wedding and she did not want to be the cause of misery on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.

Despite this, Kuan was still on the receiving end of accusations that she somehow tried to prevent the marriage from happening.

“Why would I rain on their parade? Let them be happy. Ayoko nga maging kontrabida. But just to let you know, nung kinausap ko si Bea when I resigned, sabi ko, ‘I just want to make it clear, malinaw naman tayo na, ako ba nagpa-cancel ng kasal nyo?’ Sabi nya, hindi. I’ll go further pa, ‘At any time kahit pabiro, did I tell you to cancel your wedding? Baka nakalimutan ko lang. Sabi nya, never,” she said.

All these, Kuan said, are backed with “receipts.”

Alonzo has not commented yet on Kuan’s statements.

Over the weekend, film producer and talent manager Chris Cahilig confirmed that he is stepping in as interim PR manager for Alonzo following Kuan’s resignation. He said he was approached by Alonzo and her now husband Co to temporarily handle her professional affairs.

Cahilig, who is also a film director, has been handling the public relations matters of Co’s family business, the retail firm Puregold, as well as sit as director of CinePanalo, an independent film festival.