Cristine Reyes, Isabelle Daza recall past feud, cat fight in ‘Tubig at Langis’

Cristine Reyes and Isabelle Daza revealed that misunderstandings and personal struggles led to real tension between them on set while filming the 2016 television series “Tubig at Langis.”

Reyes made a recent guest appearance on “The Sexytime Podcast,” which is hosted by Isabelle and her sister, Ava, who asked the two actresses how they started “hating” each other back then.

“Feeling ko that time hindi pa ako ready mag-work pero I can’t say no,” Reyes admitted, explaining that she had just recently given birth to her first child and was also frustrated about being assigned to an afternoon show instead of primetime. “So bwisit din talaga ako.”

READ: Cristine Reyes dismisses speculations she’s pregnant

The two actresses are laughing about the incident now, and there was no sign of tension between them during the podcast, but Reyes recalled that their differences as co-stars contributed to their past conflict because Daza was giving off “mean girl” energy.

“Ako, galing sa simpleng buhay and all, so kapag darating ako sa set, I have to greet everybody. Si Isabelle, iba siya sa akin, sosyal. ’Yung time na ’yun ‘It Girl’ siya, so parang nag-e-expect ako na magiging friendly siya pero meron siyang dating na… hindi man lang nag-hi […] porket ‘it girl’ siya, porket sikat na kasi siya,” she recalled.

Daza, for her part, underscored that she was unaware that her behavior was being perceived negatively. 

“I wasn’t aware of that, kasi si Mama Jun, ‘yung assistant ko, she would always tell me, ‘Belle, greet ka diyan sa director. Belle, puntahan mo ‘yung producer.’ Hindi ako sanay to come on the set and greet everyone, I don’t know why,” she explained.

The tension between the two intensified during emotionally demanding scenes, with Daza struggling to get into character while Reyes found it easier. 

“Pagod na pagod ako kay Isabelle non […] Sorry, iba kasi talaga ‘yung background namin. Magaling ako mag-tagalog, ito bulol. So parang ako, ‘huwag ka na mag-inarte, tapusin na natin ‘to,” Reyes shared. 

Reyes said their feud then came to a head during a confrontation scene filmed at the beach, which turned unexpectedly physical. 

“Hindi niya siguro in-expect na talagang tototohanin ko. This is my chance after how many months mo akong pinahirapan. Hahablutin ko ’yung buhok niya pababa. Talagang slam sa baba. ‘Tapos, sinipa niya ako, gumanti siya sa’kin,” Reyes recounted.

Daza confirmed the intensity of the moment, saying she did not anticipate how far Reyes would take the scene. 

“Kinuha niya ‘yung buhok ko and then, she dragged me. Sobrang lakas niya. I also didn’t know that she was going to that. Alam mo ‘yung acting. I didn’t want to break character. This is a big scene,” she explained. 

Reyes admitted the physicality was real and rooted in pent-up emotions, saying, “Totong sabunot. Totoo talaga ‘yung ginawa ko. Naipon na ’yun, Belle, ang dami mong ginawa sa akin na hindi mo alam. Hindi na lang ako nagreklamo kasi patay ako, it girl ‘to.”

Despite the conflict, both actresses agreed the scene ultimately worked in their favor, becoming viral at the time. Years later, the two said they were able to talk things through and reconcile.

Unappreciated, cheated on

Reyes also revealed that personal issues, particularly within her marriage at the time, affected her behavior on set.

“That time na pinagtatakpan ko pa, na hindi kami okay. Nagpo-post ako na parang happy family, pero ’yung totoo, hindi siya talaga umuuwi sa bahay. Pumupunta siya sa mga casino ’tapos meron silang mga girls na kasama, parang tini-table. Kasi meron daw mga clients daw, mga Koreans. Nilabas ko talaga sa kaniya [kay Belle], sorry,” shared the actress.

Reyes was previously married to Ali Khatibi, with whom she shares her daughter, Amarah. Their marriage has now been annulled. 

Reyes also admitted that she felt pressured to get married after she got pregnant, which she described as one of her mistakes. 

“‘Yun ‘yung mistake ko… Nagpa-pressure ako sa society na, ay, hindi ako married, tapos pregnant ako, so kailangan kasal kami. Tapos inisip ko si Amara. Gusto ko siya bigyan ng family, buo. Wala, mali pala,” expressed the actress. 

Reyes shared that she felt “underappreciated” by her then-husband, who tended to forget anniversaries and didn’t do any sweet gestures for special occasions, which ultimately led to their separation. 

“So nakipaghiwalay ako sa kanya. Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Tanungin mo sarili mo, for five years na magkasama tayo, did you ever ask me out on a date?'” she said. “Fault ko rin naman dahil hinayaan ko ‘yun. But anyway, wala siyang masagot.” 

Reyes then dated Marco Gumabao. She confirmed their separation in August 2025. The actress is now dating a non-showbiz guy, Gio Tingson. /edv