MANILA, Philippines – 2014 definitely was not a quiet year for showbiz. TV hosts and actors found themselves battling various intrigues, a popular leading man admitted that he was once married and has a son, while a host and anchor found himself in the middle of a sex video scandal. Here are a few of the most talked about controversies this year.

Vhong Navarro vs Deniece Cornejo and Cedric Lee  

In January, reports surfaced that actor-comedian Vhong Navarro was recuperating from bruises after being attacked by men in a condo in Taguig. Vhong was accused by model Deniece Cornejo of raping her. While visiting her condominium on January 22, a group led by businessmen Cedric Lee mauled him.

Cedric said they only hit Vhong to protect Deniece, while Vhong claimed he was being extorted.  Following the incident, two more women – Roxanne Cabañero and Margarita Fajardo – accused Vhong of rape, filing charges against him.

Roxanne said she was raped by Vhong when she was a contestant in a beauty contest in 2010, while Margarita, a stuntwoman claimed the actor forced himself on her sometime when a show was in production. All rape charges were dismissed.

Vhong has resumed his hosting duties for It’s Showtime, and starred in a movie opposite Solenn Heussaff.

Derek Ramsay’s legal battle with estranged wife Mary Christine Jolly  

TV5 star Derek Ramsay finally confirmed the news that he has a child. But it was his legal battle with estranged wife Mary Christine Jolly that hogged the headlines, after she filed a case against him citing his alleged violation of Violence Against Women and their Children Act. 

Mary Christine accused Derek of not supporting their son and not being a father to him. She also filed a concubinage case against Derek and former girlfriend Angelica Panganiban, after she found an interview confirming that the two once lived together, while he was still married to her.

The two have since reached a compromised deal, with all charges from both sides dropped. In a recent interview, Derek said that he is now allowed to see his son, who will study in Dubai.

Paolo Bediones’ sex video goes online 

In July, TV host and news anchor Paolo Bediones found himself trending on Twitter regarding a sex video that was leaked online. While Paolo initially did not comment on the issue, TV5, Paolo’s TV network, released a statement saying they would support him on the issue. 

Paolo has since gone to the police to report the incident. Following the scandal, he went on indefinite leave from his anchor duties, but continues to host two shows of the network. He has also opened two new restaurants.

Nora Aunor and the National Artist issue

 In June, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts came out with their list of nominees for the National Artist Awards including actress Nora Aunor. But during the official announcement, Nora, also known as Ate Guy in Philippine showbiz, was dropped from the list.

According to President Aquino, he dropped the Superstar from the list citing her past drug case in the US. However, the actress’ lawyer in the US, Claire Navarro Espina, said that Nora was never convicted of any drug use. 

Fans, supporters and colleagues have called for Nora to be given the award, including National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera. Despite being excluded from the list, Nora went on to win an award at this year’s Cinemalaya film festival for Hustisya, and received the UP Gawad Plaridel award.

Billy Crawford’s arrest + romance with Coleen Garcia 

Singer Billy Crawford was detained at the Taguig police station after it was reported that he went out of control after a night out with friends.

Following the incident, Billy admitted that he had a few drinks – he was charged with malicious mischief by the authorities. Billy said he has learned a lot from the experience and has learned to take things slow.  

It was also this year that he and Coleen Garcia confirmed their relationship, a year after Billy broke up with actress-singer Nikki Gil.

Anne Curtis – Sam Concepcion – Jasmine Curtis-Smith drama  

Anne Curtis made headlines in March when she allegedly made a scene during It’s Showtime co-host Vice Ganda’s birthday party. According to eye witnesses, Anne was said to have approached sister Jasmine’s boyfriend Sam Concepcion, telling him that he was not “classy” enough for her sister.  

The actress denied this, but during an interview for one of his endorsements, Sam admitted that Anne did talk to him and that everything’s okay with them. 

Months later, Jasmine said that she understands her sister’s feelings and that Anne is really a protective ate (older sister) to her and that she hopes all of them will hang out together one day.

Daniel Padilla viral audio controversy 

In September, the Teen King found himself in the middle of a controversy when an audio video of him speaking went viral online. In the conversation, Daniel was heard being excited over receiving a text message from actress Jasmine Curtis Smith and even mentioned the name Sam, which many thought was in reference to Jasmine’s boyfriend, Sam Concepcion. 

Fans of KathNiel (the love team of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla) were dismayed, accusing Jasmine of being a flirt. While Daniel has already apologized to Jasmine and his on-screen partner Kathryn Bernardo, fans of both sides continued to trade snide remarks.

Jasmine’s sister Anne stepped in and asked both sides to calm down. Jasmine refused to say anything else about the issue.

Fabio Ide admits having a child, Denisse and Michelle’s angry exchange 

In September, Fabio Ide posted photos of him and a baby girl, confirming that he was the father of Denisse Oca’s daughter Danielle.

Photos of the christening were posted by Denisse’s mother actress Melissa Mendez. However, this did not sit well with Fabio’s then girlfriend Michelle Pamintuan, who called Denisse’s mother “the most evil person” in the world, which led to Denisse and Michelle exchanging angry messages that Denisse posted online.

Fabio and Michelle have since “cooled off” and Michelle has already apologized to Melissa and Denisse.

Kim Chiu and Maja Salvador make up

After their falling out, former best friends Kim Chiu and Maja Salvador have forgiven each other. The two actresses stopped talking to each other when Gerald Anderson, Kim’s former on-screen partner and ex-boyfriend, started courting Maja. This led to the estrangement between Maja and Kim. In April, Kim said that everything is now okay between the 3 of them, and that they have moved on from the issue.

Vice Ganda and Terrence Romeo  

It has long been rumored that there’s more than friendship between comedian Vice Ganda and PBA player Terrence Romeo. Last May, Terrence finally broke his silence on the issue, saying that he and Vice never had a relationship. His name cropped up after Vice posted a series of tweets on how he was feeling after breaking-up with his boyfriend.  Vice also spoke up on the issue saying he never mentioned Terrence’s name in interviews, but admitted to getting hurt over the issue.

Ramon Bautista declared persona non grata in Davao  

YouTube sensation, author and professor Ramon Bautista’s humor proved too much for some this year. During a show in celebration of the Kadayawan Festival, Ramon declared that there were many prawns (hipon in Filipino) in the audience.

The term hipon refers to someone with a beautiful body but a less than desirable face. This did not please the city officials, including former Davao City mayor Sara Duterte, who called for Ramon to be declared persona non grata in the city. Despite his apology to the public and to Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, it has yet to be seen if Ramon will be allowed to enter the city soon.

Kris Aquino and Herbert Bautista’s short-lived romance  

Queen of All Media Kris Aquino has always been a controversial figure, her love life figuring prominently in headlines. In April, news of a budding romance between Kris and Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista became the talk of the town.

Although she promised to keep mum about her relationship, Kris admitted that she and Herbert were dating. But the blooming romance did not push through, with Herbert saying in a Bandila interview that he stopped courting President Aquino’s sister because his children were getting affected by the controversy. Kris admitted to being hurt over Herbert’s statement, but said that she wishes him well and will focus on her sons. 

Other much talked about in showbiz were Cristine Reyes’ pregnancy confirmation, Phillip Salvador shouting at foreigner for mistreating a Filipino, Daniel Marsh and a taxi driver’s misunderstanding and Ruffa Gutierrez and Annabelle Rama’s drama on Twitter. Claudine Barretto also continues to make headlines with the ongoing rift between her and sisters Gretchen, Marjorie and estranged husband Raymart Santiago. It was also this year that actor Richard Gutierrez and girlfriend Sarah Lahbati introduced their son Zion, a year after keeping quiet.

What are your thoughts on this year’s showbiz controversies? Let us know in the comments below. – Rappler.com