Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

WHEN IT COMES to glamor, sophistication and class, one Philippine showbiz personality distinctly glitters. Gretchen Barretto sparkles in an unparalleled way. She’s intriguing, beautiful, volatile and as her latest album would profess, complicated.

I met Gretchen many moons ago during her first few trips to the US. She was young, fresh and so very delightfully kikay. She is super makuwento and just interesting to be around. I remember it was around that time when she was trying to get over a break-up with a showbiz boyfriend. It was also a time when she was just getting to know her current partner, billionaire Tonyboy Cojuangco.

With our common friend Mary Ann Pimenta, I’ve produced shows involving Gretchen here in the US, including Reflections 4, where she flew to LA unexpectedly at the last minute to model a bridal masterpiece by Louie Mamengo while being escorted by Richard Gomez.

It was in one particular project that we had a disagreement--very typical of a star-producer relationship. I guess it was serious enough to create a falling out and we never saw or spoke to each other for a long time after that incident.

From then on, I would just see her on TFC giving interviews about her controversial life. We weren’t on friendly terms but I was still enthralled by the very candid and public Gretchen Barretto we all have come to know and love.

About two years ago, while vacationing in Manila, our friend Mary Ann invited me to lunch. Mary Ann said Gretchen was going to be there and that she wanted to see me.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Gretchen was so welcoming and sweet to me. She even said hindi nya matandaan na nag-away kami. I still had the fragments of the argument stored in my head but to Gretchen, that chapter was a bygones.

That’s when I realized, Gretchen is the type of person na hindi nagtatanim ng sama ng loob.

She knows how to forgive and forget.

Instantly, I felt very relieved. In no time, we were catching up just like old times. As usual, she was still as makuwento and kikay as ever.

The Gretchen that you see on TV being hunted by controversies isn’t necessarily the same Gretchen that you will see in a private setting, when she knows she’s just surrounded by close friends.