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Dennis Padilla airs grievances following daughter Claudia Barretto’s wedding: ‘This is a permanent goodbye’
Dennis Padilla expressed his emotional pain and disappointment regarding his experience at his daughter Claudia Barretto’s wedding, which made headlines on Wednesday morning.
In his interview with Ogie Diaz uploaded on YouTube late Wednesday night, Dennis recalled having a reunion dinner with Claudia, Julia, and Leon on March 18. He was also introduced and got to talk to Claudia’s now-husband, Basti Lorenzo.
Dennis recalled that during the reunion dinner, Claudia told him she wanted him to look good on the wedding day, so he assumed that he would walk her down the aisle.
But on the day of the wedding, Claudia called him to say the wedding might not push through. Dennis narrated.
“Napilitan siya magsalita, ‘Kasi for the past one week, hindi ko nakikita ‘yung interest ni Basti na magpakasal kami. Parang hindi siya sure,’” he recalled her saying.
Dennis advised Claudia not to proceed if she was unhappy or unsure. An hour and 30 minutes later however, Claudia called him again to tell him the wedding will push through.
Dennis proceeded to the church with his mother and his brother, Gene.
He said that the wedding coordinator directed him to sit with the godparents, which made him feel like he was not acknowledged as the father of the bride.
“Nakita ko na lang, si Marjorie ang katabing umupo si Leon. So I don’t have a place. Naiyak na ako. While the march was going on, halfway through it, nung tumatawid na si Claudia, wala lang. Nakatayo lang ako, nag-o-observe na lang ako. Pumapatak ang luha ako. Grabe, it's one of the most painful part ng buhay ko,” Dennis said.
When he approached the coordinator to inquire about his role as the father of the bride, he was told to “just follow the program.”
“Sa totoo lang, Ogie, mas masaya pa ako [kung] hindi ako invited tapos dumating na lang ako,” Dennis said.
According to Dennis, he was about to leave the church early when he was asked by the coordinator to stay because Claudia requested to have a photo with him at the altar.
“Sabi ko kay Gene, ‘Gene, pagbigyan na natin. Kawawa naman ‘yung bata, walang magawa.’ Alam mo, ayaw ni Claui ‘yung naging arrangement na ‘yun. Ayaw niya ‘yun. Siguro kaya—ako, pakiramdam ko lang, kaya sinabi niya na hindi na tuloy ang kasal, siguro ayaw na niya na akong pumunta eh,” Dennis said.
In the interview, he responded to those who were calling him “toxic.”
“A father’s longing for love from the children, especially the father going to almost 3/4 of his life, can you call that as toxic? A father’s longing—a father who asked forgiveness privately and publicly, is that toxic? A father who apologized to the mother, to the children, to the boyfriend of the children in private and in public, do you call that toxic?” he said.
“If the answer to those things I said is yes, then I consider myself toxic.”
He said he never received a physical invitation to the wedding, despite providing his address to Claudia so she could send him the invitation, and only received a message from Claudia on Viber two days after not receiving a reply to his invitation request.
Her message contained the wedding venue and schedule details, Dennis said, adding “Kasi ‘pag nakita ko na wala ang pangalan ko do’n, 50/50 kung dadating ako o hindi."
Dennis claimed he tried reaching out to Julia and Leon after the wedding, but they did not return his calls.
The comedian expressed his wish that he was informed ahead about not being part of the wedding entourage “para I can decide if I still want to go o ‘wag na lang."
"Nasa akin na ‘yon, ‘di ba? Wala na silang carry doon," he said.
Dennis also said that he was able to talk to Claudine Barretto, who wanted to attend the wedding.
“Sabi ko, ‘Claudine, kahit na hindi ka invited, pumunta ka. Huwag kang matakot. I’ll sit beside you.' Alam mo naman kung gaano ka-spoiled diyan si sila Claui kay Claudine. Parang anak niya ‘yon,” he said.
Dennis added that he thinks Claudia did not want what happened.
“Alam ko si Claudia ayaw niya 'yung nangyari. Alam ko. Nafi-feel ko ayaw niya ‘yung nangyari. Gusto niya akong umupo doon eh. Gusto niya akong kasama maghatid sa kanya. I can see it in her eyes eh. Nararamdaman ko kahapon eh. Pagharap niya sa mga tao, hinahanap niya ako.”
He declared that he is “finished” with trying to rebuild his relationship with Claudia, Julia, and Leon. He has even started deleting old photos of them from his Instagram.
“Ako na masusunod ngayon, hindi na sila,” he said. “I won't give them any chance to see me or talk to me. I will not give them any chance.”
“This is a permanent goodbye. Maybe the last time that you will see me, sa loob na ng kabaong ko ‘yon dahil hindi na ako makakaiwas. Hindi ko naman kayo i-ba-ban do’n. Anak ko kayo eh.”
On Instagram Thursday, Dennis also shared a photo of himself, his brother Gene, and their mother inside the church prior to the wedding.
"Sabi mo Gene... Kuya alam ko masaya ka kasi mabibigyan ka ng chance mahatid si Claui sa altar nung 'tayo' palang ni Mama ang nasa church,'" the photo caption read.
Claudia and Basti got married in St. James the Great Parish in Muntinlupa City. The reception was held at Lakehall at Nena’s Sanctuary in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
Following the wedding, Dani Barretto told the couple to not let anything or anyone “dim the light of this moment.”
“It’s your story, your love, and your forever beginning,” said Dani.
GMA News Online has reached out to Claudia for comment, but has yet to receive a reply as of posting. We will update the story as soon as we hear from Claudia.
—Carby Rose Basina/CDC/LA, GMA Integrated News
