Ruffa Gutierrez said that she is “very happy” that her mom Annabelle Rama had reconciled with Gretchen Barretto.
According to the actress, if all’s well now with Gretchen and her mom, it means the same for her and La Greta.
“I’m very happy. Actually, nabigla ako when my mom told me what happened. Okay na rin yun kasi Pasko,” the actress said on the sidelines of a presscon launching her as the newest endorser for the Cathy Valencia Skincare Clinic.
“Wala naman talagang bad blood between us, on my part. Actually lahat kami nagulat din because of what happened. What’s important is, I consider it na pagbati na sila ni Mommy, okay na rin kami,” she added.
Ruffa’s feisty momager made peace and even shared a hug with the socialite-actress after recently meeting by chance at a Chinese restaurant, according to entertainment columnist Jun Lalin. It was also witnessed by Regal Entertainment matriarch Lily Monteverde and Annabelle’s husband Eddie Gutierrez.
The reconciliation happened more than a month after Annabelle blasted Gretchen for throwing shade at Ruffa and reviving an old controversy about her Best Actress win at the Metro Manila filmfest in 1994.
Gretchen’s criticism, meanwhile, stemmed from Ruffa’s comment complimenting the photo of her niece Julia Barretto, at the height of the headline-grabbing Barretto family feud last October.
The very public spat, which started at the wake of the Barretto patriarch Miguel Barretto, particularly involved siblings Gretchen and Claudine versus their sister Marjorie, and saw them throwing accusations at each other on various media platforms.
“My God! Nagulat nalang ako kasama pala ako sa boxing. Bakit ako nasali diyan wala naman akong nagawa? (But) she (Gretchen) explained to my mom, it was an initial reaction. She just kept posting and posting daw whatever she could post sa sobrang galit niya, so parang nadamay lang ako sa sobrang galit niya,” Ruffa told reporters on Saturday at Cathy Valencia’s Bonifacio Global City branch.
Ruffa said that had she bumped into Gretchen just like her mom, she believes she would also greet her like nothing happened given their long years of friendship.
“I think if we see each other naman, I will say hi. Kasi napakalaki ng pinagsamahan namin, she was even a bridesmaid at my first wedding.”
She recalled that they’ve been friends since 1992 and it was her mom Annabelle who reminded her how their friendship began.
“It was because of Elvis, my younger brother. Elvis did a movie with Gretchen, and kuya (the late) Rudy Fernandez when she was still with Seiko Films, siguro sometime in 1991.
“That’s when she started coming to the house. She would borrow Elvis and give him G.I. Joes and stickers. And I remember dun kami naging close and she was always with Marjorie.”
Ruffa said that before Gretchen posted about her, she messaged her on Instagram.
“Prior to her posting about me, I actually sent her on Instagram a video and a picture of her and Marjorie, and I said, Gretch, sana magbati na kayo. And I remember her telling me, ‘Ruffa, our family is different from your family.’
“So, sabi ko, in time. I pray and believe that in time because I witnessed all those beautiful moments. I just hope magbati sila and for me, wala naman akong hate towards everyone.”
