Tessa Prieto opens up about painful breakdown of her 26-year marriage

Tessa Prieto-Valdes looked back on the painful collapse of her 26-year marriage to Dennis Valdes.

During her guest appearance in “Fast Talk With Boy Abunda” on Friday, the socialite and actress said that their marriage fell apart because of her ex-husband’s infidelity.

According to Tessa, problems in their marriage intensified around the pandemic when she noticed Valdes spending increasing amounts of time with a younger female employee.

“It was more like — just before the pandemic, I felt that we're, the usual, fighting but not saying anything. And then I realized that he was working more during the pandemic. And I noticed there was one particular staff that they would meet all the time. She’s from marketing who rose to the ranks. Naging GM ng Aegle Wellness Center,” Tessa narrated.

“Every weekend, they were in Balesin. Not necessary. And then I would go to the beach and stuff. And I said, this is too strange that because of their age gap, I don't, I didn't think of anything,” she added.

Although she initially described the relationship as "platonic," she said he eventually suggested keeping both women in his life—an arrangement she firmly rejected.

“Sabi niya, I'm gonna keep you and her. Parang sabi ko, ano, parang, really? Are you like Muslim or something? So sabi ko, I'm not agreeing. Kasi sabi ko, sinama na mag-agree, 'di ba? And I felt like, she's a friend of my kids. Yung age gap nila, 36 years,” Tessa said.

Looking back, Tessa admitted she wished she had been more assertive in confronting the situation, but said she still wanted to save their marriage and was willing to make changes if it meant giving their relationship another chance.

“Alam mo, I will do everything for love, for marriage, for everything. I'm all out, 'di ba? I said like, I'm always over the top the way I dress. That's the way I am. That's the way I love. And you can't change that anymore.”

In her interview, Tessa also said that Dennis knew she was gay even before they got married.

“He married me knowing I was gay. And, a single mom. I was gay before I got married also. That was not an issue.”

The entrepreneur admitted she was deeply hurt when Dennis and the woman, who is 36 years younger than him and a friend of her children, recently began sharing their relationship publicly on social media before announcing their engagement.

“Then January, silang dalawa nag-public post in their IG. So they have been collabing pictures together. Their dives in Maldives, or birthday niya. Her 29th birthday in Baguio. You know videos of them. And for me, people are already shielding me not to show me. But of course, siyempre, I can see. So, lately, and then, the announcement na ‘yung ring. Ganon ganon 'di ba?” she said.

“The problem with that nag-media frenzy kasi there's a law you cannot screenshot from a private account. That's an Anti-Privacy act. But since they’re public, hala lumabas na. But the problem is. It’s 'Tessa Prieto’s ex-husband gets engaged,' 'Tessa Prieto’s ex-husband’s fiancee is this,' ganyan,” Tessa said.

That media frenzy, according to Tessa was shameful “for me and my mother. My generation and my children and their cousins.”

Despite the emotional setback, Tessa described the engagement as a form of closure. She said she still loves Valdes, but only in appreciation of the 26 years they spent together and not out of a desire to reconcile.

Following the breakdown of her marriage, Prieto entered a same-sex relationship that lasted for 11 months.

She described the relationship as emotionally difficult and said it eventually led to legal disputes, including a pending Violence Against Women and Their Children (VAWC) case and an estafa complaint.

“It’s ongoing. It's for me, it's more like I wanna be na parang violence whether it's verbal is something that you shouldn't even tolerate,” she said.

According to Tessa, the harrowing experience ultimately gave her the clarity and courage to formally pursue an annulment from Valdes.

“That whole 11 months of that relationship and afterwards was also in-between my filing of annulment. Parang, it was such an emotional rollercoaster na talagang oh my God. Should I file? Should I file? Should I file an annulment?” Tessa recalled.

“But because of that 11 months, I said like, hey, I’m OK to move on with this relationship. I'm just going to not be shameful that I'm a lesbian or whatever. And that was the one that made me file an annulment,” she said. — LA, GMA News