Marjorie Barretto has finally broken her silence on the troubled relationship with her ex-husband, actor-comedian Dennis Padilla, during a sit down interview with talent manager and host Ogie Diaz on April 11.
The actress-politician opened up about the tumultuous years she spent with Padilla, revealing shocking details of alleged physical abuse and the estrangement of their children.
In the emotional two-part interview, Marjorie shared her side of the story, detailing the pain and struggles she endured while raising their three children, Claudia, Julia, and Leon. Her revelation of Padilla’s “explosive temper” and “physical abuse” was especially striking, as she claimed that she had kept silent about these issues for 18 years.
“For 18 years, ako ang sinisiraan niya sa mga anak ko. Dennis, huwag mo itong ide-deny,” Marjorie began. “Kapag sinusundo niya ang mga anak ko, he would tell them, ‘Paglaki niyo, I will tell you what your mom did to me.’ But my children are protective of me.”
She went on to explain that, despite Padilla’s claims of being mistreated, it was he who had been physically abusive during their marriage. “He was physically abusive to me. I’ve been quiet for 18 years, but he was physically abusive,” she said. “Konting bagay lang manununtok na yan or mananampal na yan. My kids saw that.”
Marjorie recounted a particularly harrowing incident when she was a new mother to their youngest daughter, Julia. “The biggest physical abuse to me was when Julia was a few days old, kakapanganak ko pa lang sa kanya,” Marjorie said. “Galit siya sa ‘kin. Parang I complained about something…I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I never spoke about this… Naglalakad ako papasok ng kwarto. From the back, ang laking tao ni Dennis, ha and he hit me so hard in my ear. Lumipad talaga ako, kasi hindi ka nakailag, eh, di ba? Talagang nawala ang eardrum ko.”
The impact of the incident was so severe that Marjorie had to undergo surgery to recreate her eardrum. “Na-surgery yun kasi nga sa sobrang impact. They had to recreate an eardrum. Dennis has an explosive temper,” she added.
She also revealed that Dennis’s behavior had a lasting impact on their children, who were affected by the constant public bashing during his media interviews. “For 18 years na magkahiwalay kami, pinapalabas niya na ako ang magpeprevent [na magkita sila] ng mga anak ko, binebrainwash ko ang mga anak ko [to go against] Dennis. Hindi totoo ‘yan,” Marjorie explained. “Tuwing hinihiram niya ang mga anak ko… ako ang sinisiraan niya sa mga anak ko.”
Marjorie emphasized that Dennis’s tendency to air their family matters in public interviews has contributed to the estrangement of their children. “Dennis and my other children have been estranged for many, many years,” she explained. “For the past 10 years, wala nang ginawa si Dennis kundi magpainterview nang magpainterview.”
According to Marjorie, the children are protective of her, and the idea that she “brainwashed” them against their father was false. “My children are protective of me,” she said. “Dennis, huwag mo ‘tong idedeny ever kasi ang lagi mong sinasabi tuwing sinusundo ang mga anak ko, ‘Paglaki niyo, I will tell you what your mom did to me.'”
Marjorie also shared her frustration with Dennis’s behavior, particularly his explosive temper and frequent public interviews that continue to hurt their children. “Kung kakausapin nila ang tatay nila at sisigawan at mumurahin ako sa telepono, nanginginig ang mga bata. My kids’ trigger is their father. His voice alone, nanginginig sila,” she said.
The actress also made it clear that she would never apologize for her role in raising their children, emphasizing that she had been their sole provider for 18 years. “I was seated at the front row, where the mother and the father of the bride should be, and I will not say sorry for that. I raised my child single-handedly, Dennis,” she said.
Marjorie’s comments follow Dennis Padilla’s public frustration over not being included in the wedding entourage of their daughter Claudia, who married Basti Lorenzo on April 8. Padilla had previously aired his grievances in an interview, claiming that Claudia was unhappy with the arrangement and that he felt left out of the wedding.
In response, Marjorie clarified that the estrangement between Dennis and their children was not orchestrated by her, but a result of years of negative behavior. “Dennis, hindi mo kayang mag-pretend para sa mga bata. Paano ka namin isasama ng mga bata? Tension ang dala mo eh,” she said.
