Messy breakups, family drama, legal battles: The showbiz kalat of 2022

From concerts, to movie premieres, to thanksgiving parties, the live entertainment scene definitely came back in full swing this 2022 – and in true showbiz fashion, the artista drama and celebrity kalat also kept up. 

2022 saw a handful of shocking celebrity splits (one ending in a quick annulment while another leading to a breakup single), a rehashing of a publicized legal battle, and several celebrities being embroiled in the politics-showbiz mess. 

Here are some spicy headlines you might have forgotten happened this year: 

Kris Aquino and Mel Sarmiento’s breakup, and her medical issues

It’s an understatement to say that 2022 has been a rough year for Kris Aquino. Just about three months after announcing her engagement to politician Mel Sarmiento in October, the media personality confirmed on January 3 that they’ve parted ways. 

She posted screenshots of Mel’s last text message to her, wherein the politician said that he was accepting Kris’ offer of “letting [him] go.” “I do love you, but I guess this is goodbye, for your life is of greatest importance given that you have Bimby and Josh (Kris’ children) to take care of,” he said in the text.

Kris hasn’t talked about the fallout since then, and has instead focused on getting treatment for a very rare medical condition that involves several autoimmune diseases. The host-actress has been updating fans on how the “right treatment” has eluded her, which was why she and her children had flown to the United States for her to seek proper diagnosis and medication. 

In her latest health update last November 24, Kris said that she’ll undergo “more than 18 months of diagnosis and treatment” as she continues to battle her diseases. “I’ll be admitted early 2023 to undergo every imaginable test they’ll deem necessary,” she shared. 

Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abellana’s marriage and divorce in less than a year

Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abellana dated for seven years before they tied the knot in October 2021, so it came as a surprise to fans when in February, just barely four months into their marriage, speculations started circulating that the newlyweds were facing problems early into their marriage. 

Eagle-eyed fans noticed that the two briefly unfollowed each other on Instagram, and Carla also noticeably removed photos of Tom from her Instagram. 

In June, Carla opened up about her relationship with Tom, saying she had been “hurt” and “betrayed.” “I was disrespected. I was betrayed. I was lied to. I was used. I was shamed. I was made to look stupid,” she said then. 

Days after Carla’s remarks, Tom released a statement announcing his divorce from Carla, saying that “despite all [his] efforts, Carla had already given up on [their] relationship.” Tom, who’s an American citizen, was able to obtain a divorce decree in the United States, where he is currently staying. However, the ex-couple needs to file recognition of foreign divorce in a Philippine court for the dissolution of their marriage to take effect in the Philippines. 

Carla confirmed their split in October, and in a November interview, admitted that she’s still “definitely” hurting because of what happened. 

Ana Jalandoni speaks up on abusive relationship with Kit Thompson

Actor Kit Thompson was arrested on March 18 for allegedly detaining and hurting his girlfriend Ana Jalandoni, who was rescued after she called authorities from a hotel in Tagaytay City. In a press conference, the actress revealed that she had filed complaints of violence against women, illegal detention, and frustrated homicide against Kit.

In a tell-all interview in April, Ana revealed that prior to the Tagaytay incident, the actor has been verbally and physically abusive with her, especially when he is drunk. She said that she stayed and ignored the red flags because she believed she could help him change. 

Ana said that she will forgive Kit “in time,” adding that although there is still love left for the actor, she would not get back together with him because she’s not sure she’d change. 

Tony Labrusca cleared in acts of lasciviousness case

Also in March, a Makati court has cleared Tony Labrusca of the acts of lasciviousness charge that was filed against him in 2021. 

The actor’s legal counsel, led by lawyer Joji Alonso, showed copies of the court ruling dismissing the complaint, affirming that it has no probable cause.

The actor was sued by an unnamed woman in June 2021 for allegedly exposing a woman’s chest and forcefully pulling her towards his lap on the night of January 16, 2021. He faced two counts of aggravated acts of lasciviousness as well as a criminal complaint of aggravated slight physical injuries for allegedly choking a man on the same night. 

The latter case was dismissed in July 2021 on the grounds that it was filed past the two-month prescription period of the offense. 

Jason Marvin Hernandez cheating on Moira dela Torre (and releasing a song about forgiveness)

From best friends to lovers, many have witnessed and (listened) to the love story of Moira dela Torre and Jason Marvin Hernandez. That’s why it left many dumbfounded when they released a joint statement confirming their split after three years of marriage. 

The two had earlier denied rumors of their split, but Jason Marvin eventually confessed that he had been “unfaithful” to Moira during their marriage, adding that “[his] love for [her] has always been genuine.” 

After their publicized split, Moira opened up in a Magandang Buhay interview that she admittedly questioned herself because of what happened. Meanwhile, Jason released a track titled “Ako Na Lang,” where he asks her for forgiveness. 

Janella Salvador and Markus Paterson’s split and being co-parents to Jude

Breakup rumors between Janella Salvador and Markus Paterson started in early 2022, after netizens noticed the actress’ absence from the actor’s birthday celebration, and how the two hadn’t been sharing photos of each other on their respective social media accounts. 

In separate interviews, the two didn’t deny nor confirm their relationship and instead asked the public to respect their privacy. Both emphasized that their priority was their son Jude. 

In September, Janella called herself a “single mom” to son Jude, prompting netizens to speculate that the two had indeed broken up. Days after, Markus confirmed that they had parted ways “almost a year” ago. 

Markus, who went viral for his statement about avoiding dating someone from showbiz, also clarified that that remark wasn’t an attack on Janella. 

Netizens were reassured that all was well between the two when Janella and Markus were both seen at their son’s baptism and birthday celebration. 

Ai-Ai delas Alas and Darryl Yap’s personae non grata status in Quezon City

It’s no surprise that some showbiz drama was thrown into the mix during the national elections, especially with the number of celebrities who ran for positions and endorsed candidates. 

Among the most explosive incidents was when the local government of Quezon City declared comedian Ai-Ai delas Alas and director Darryl Yap as personae non gratae for “disrespecting the city’s official seal.” 

In a two-and-a-half-minute video posted on Yap’s VinCentiment’s Facebook page, Ai-Ai portrayed a character named “Ligaya Delmonte”– spoofing Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.  On the wall behind her was the city’s official triangular seal, which had been altered to read “BBM SARA” – referring to now-president Bongbong Marcos and vice president Sara Duterte.

District IV Councilor Ivy Lagman explained that the move was not about going against Marcos and Duterte, but about the defacing of the Quezon City seal. “The malicious and unscrupulous defacing of the official seal of Quezon City ridiculed and casted dishonor to it, causing insult to the noble representation of the seal,” she said.

In response to the resolution, Ai-Ai’s camp said that it “endangers” freedom of expression. 

Toni Gonzaga leaves ‘Pinoy Big Brother’

Another showbiz-politics fiasco was longtime host Toni Gonzaga leaving the reality competition Pinoy Big Brother. 

Toni, who has hosted the show since 2005, “voluntarily endorsed” the hosting duties to co-host Bianca Gonzalez. ABS-CBN then released a statement, saying they “accept” Toni’s resignation and “respect her personal choices.” 

Toni’s departure from the show came the day after the actress appeared at the February 8 proclamation rally of Bongbong Marcos. Since then, Toni was no longer seen in any ABS-CBN programs. In September, she signed with the AMBS Network. 

Dennis Padilla and ‘public shaming’ the Barretto children

Celebrating Father’s Day can get tricky, especially for children who don’t have the best relationships with their dads. And that’s exactly how it went for Dennis Padilla and his children with Marjorie Barretto. 

In a June Instagram post, the actor-comedian expressed his disappointment over Julia, Claudia, and Leon, who seemingly forgot to greet him on Father’s Day. Leon fired back at his dad, saying that “it’s always been an awkward day for [them] cause [they] never seem to know where [they] stand with [Dennis] every year.” 

Leon then detailed their attempts to reconcile with Dennis, with the actor ending up “shouting, cursing, and using hurtful words that traumatize” them. “Your words have the power to destroy your children, papa,” he said then. Leon ended his post by asking Dennis to “stop resorting to public shaming when things don’t go [his] way.” 

Dennis then apologized to Leon, and questioned his son about the “false narratives” he said in public. 

The family drama came to light again in September when Julia opened up about her relationship with her father, saying that there’s “still so much fear” inside her. The actress added that their dad has tried to reach out to them again but she’s not just ready to fix things. 

Dennis reacted to Julia’s statements, saying that his daughter only knew half the truth. Marjorie and Claudine Barretto also came to the defense of Julia amid the latter’s rift with Dennis. 

Vhong Navarro’s legal battle with Deniece Cornejo

2022 has been pretty eventful, but perhaps one of the most shocking headlines was the resuscitation of Vhong Navarro’s legal battle with Deniece Cornejo. 

It was in July when the Court of Appeals’ (CA) 14th Division reversed and set aside the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) previous resolutions from 2018 and 2020,  which dismissed Deniece’s 2014 complaint accusing Vhong of attempted rape.

Vhong surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on September 20 after a Taguig court ordered his arrest, and in November, he was transferred to the Taguig City Jail from the National Bureau of Investigation facility. 

In December, a Taguig court granted the bail petition of Vhong, allowing him to pay P1 million for his temporary liberty, ruling that the evidence presented by Deniece in the bail hearings were too weak to warrant the host’s continued dentition. 

Eraserheads’ reunion and the call for not giving abusers a platform

Reunions are generally met with happiness, but that was not the case for OPM legends Eraserheads. 

While many are looking forward to seeing the iconic Filipino rock band come together again after several years, some netizens are criticizing the members for allowing Marcus Adoro, the band’s guitarist, to continue performing despite being previously accused of domestic abuse by former partner Barbara Ruaro and daughter, singer Syd Hartha. 

The three other Eraserheads members have aired their side of the issue in separate accounts. Ely Buendia’s manager Diane Ventura made it clear that Ely’s “non-negotiable conditions” for the project is that “Marcus [resolves] his issues,” while Raymund Marasigan said that he’s open to speaking privately with Marcus about the matter and he hopes that the issue gets resolved between the parties involved.  In an exclusive interview with Rappler, Buddy Zabala has expressed his solidarity with Marcus’ alleged victims while also saying that he has to abide by however the concert producers decide to resolve the issue. 

In September, Marcus penned an open letter to daughter Syd and also apologized for the trouble he has caused his family, his bandmates, the sponsors, and the public. 

Ricci Rivero asking Andrea Brillantes to be his girlfriend

Aside from helping the UP Fighting Maroons win the championship title in UAAP Season 84, Ricci Rivero also had another reason to celebrate 2022: going public with his relationship with girlfriend Andrea Brillantes. 

But while many have found their public confirmation sweet, some fans of the actress were still skeptical, as Andrea was also being paired with actor Seth Fedelin at the time. 

In a 10-minute Instagram Live, she opened up about her relationship with Seth, admitting that they’d dated for more than two years and broke up in October 2021. She also addressed rumors about her being unfaithful and not being on good terms with some people in the entertainment industry. 

The actress added that she “found [her] peace” and decided to just “forgive and forget.” “I’m doing this for closure. I’m not asking you to believe in me. This is for everyone – closure for me, closure for my family, closure [for] their fans.”

Love wins for Vice Ganda and Ion Perez

While the year has been hounded by chaotic breakups, Vice Ganda and Ion Perez’ announcement of their wedding commitment ceremony was a welcome reprieve. 

The couple announced in a February vlog that they had a simple intimate ceremony at the Las Vegas Chapel in Nevada, USA, sharing clips of their rings, signed certificate of commitment, and more photos from the ceremony. 

For their exchange of vows, Vice Ganda said, “Mahal na mahal din kita…. Ang saya-saya ko na ikaw ang kasama ko ngayon at ikaw ‘yung kasama ko kahapon at ikaw ‘yung makakasama ko pa rin bukas at sa mga susunod na araw. ‘Yun ang pinagdadasal ko na sa mga susunod na araw, ikaw pa rin ‘yung kasama ko at ako pa rin ‘yung kasama mo.” 

(I love you too, so much.… I’m so happy that I am with you, that I was with you yesterday, and I’ll be with you tomorrow and the next. That’s what I’ve been praying for – that we’ll continue to be together.) 

Vice and Ion, who first confirmed their relationship in 2019., also announced that they’d been engaged since February 2020.

Are there any happenings in the local entertainment industry that should be included in this list? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section! – Rappler.com