Tony Labrusca on possibly falling for Julia Barretto: ‘I would love to be friends with her’

Tony Labrusca (left) and Julia Barretto are co-stars for the first time—and the actor insists there’s nothing more to their relationship.  Image: Star Magic Catalogue via Instagram/@tony.labrusca, Instagram/@juliabarretto

With Tony Labrusca as Julia Barretto’s leading man, there are bound to be speculations of something more between them. However, the actor maintains that he and Barretto are just friends.

The two will star opposite each other for the first time in the iWant series “I AM U,” with Labrusca playing Barretto’s high school boyfriend.

The actor admitted on “Tonight with Boy Abunda” on Wednesday, Dec. 18, that he had long been looking forward to working with Barretto. Abunda mentioned that the actress is single and asked about Labrusca singing to her.

Labrusca clarified that he was a fan of her sister, Claudia Barretto, and that he was singing her song “Finally Found It.”

When asked how close they were, Labrusca said, “I wouldn’t say that me and Julia are like super close.”

“I would love to be friends with her,” he said after being asked if he saw “possibilities” between them.

He said he talked to her about how she was coping with controversies in the past year, and mentioned he was inspired by what she said about her family.

When Abunda asked if he would want a family with her, he said, “Let me just say this, one day when she gets married, the man that she marries will be a very lucky man.”

Although he did not mention what controversies she faced, Barretto has been linked to the breakup of Gerald Anderson and Bea Alonzo. She has also been caught up in a family feud between her mom, Marjorie, and aunt Gretchen.

Labrusca expressed sympathy for her, having faced his own viral moment the past year after berating an immigration officer. “I feel for Julia. I think people forget that me and her (sic) are just people. Just like everybody else. Meron din kaming feelings (We have feelings too)… we’re just normal human beings.”  Niña V. Guno /ra

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