Marjorie Barretto has issued a six-page open letter responding to remarks made by her mother, Inday Barretto, in the second part of an interview on the ‘Ogie Diaz Inspires’ vlog, where the Barretto matriarch discussed long-running rifts among daughters Gretchen, Marjorie, and Claudine.
In the vlog, Inday said it was difficult to pinpoint why her daughters fell out: “They used to be very close… somewhere along the way nawala na… pero pag tanungin mo sino pinag-awayan, wala! They just don’t like each other okay lang, but they hate each other that’s not okay, di ba?”
She also described her relationship with Marjorie as “hot and cold” and claimed they “don’t get along fine.” “Marjorie is very strong-willed. Sometimes lagpas sa normal because even I, as a mother, get it. Ako, I’m asked and I’m honest and I will tell the truth, we don’t get along fine. I love her, she knows that. She better know it, otherwise what a loss,” Inday said. “I don’t take it against her kasi iba, eh pero tingin ko sa kanya parang pareho kami made from the same pattern. Strong rin siya.”
Inday added she felt “rejection” from her daughter and alleged she was not invited to some family gatherings. “I feel rejection from her. I feel like, as a mother, I’m not talking about magkakapatid, I’m speaking for myself. I just feel like she loves me but parang hindi ako enough sa kanya. Parang I’m not enough. Parang may hinahanap siya sa akin na hindi ko alam kung ano kasi kung alam ko ibibigay ko. Not my life because marami pa akong tao na I have to live for other people.” She continued: “Hot and cold kami. Sometimes, she was very ano with me tapos biglang hindi. May mga parties yan, she doesn’t invite me. She does not invite me to her party. Hindi ako nagtatampo, I’m indignant. I’m galit. Because why? Anong klase akong nanay? Ikakahiya mo? I don’t comb my hair? I don’t talk well? Pipi ba ako?”
Despite tensions, Inday stressed that affection remains at the core of the clan: “This family, mag away-away kayo but no one can beat the love that is in this family kaya may away.”
Marjorie, who said she initially tried to ignore the interview, posted her rebuttal on Instagram, calling the statements “unprovoked and undeserved.” “Something is weighing so heavily on my heart right now. A few days ago, on my brother’s first-month death anniversary, an interview of my mom was released. I woke up to frantic calls and messages from loved ones saying that my mom had said very hurtful and untrue things about me,” she wrote.
She disputed claims that she and her mother were not on good terms. “I was shocked to learn that she and I were supposedly not on good terms, when we were just together every day, from that one day in the hospital to my brother’s three-night wake and his inurnment. Was I not taking my mom home from the wake? Was I only dreaming that we were talking, hugging, and comforting each other?”
Questioning the timing, Marjorie added: “Was this really necessary to drag our grieving, non-showbiz family members into a new scandal while everyone is still mourning my brother’s sudden death? Or am I once again damage control? The Mission: Destroy Marjorie — to make the youngest child look good and clean.”
She also rejected the notion that she excludes her mother from family events. “Over the years, through all my Instagram posts, you’ve seen me surrounded by my family. I love my family. My siblings, nephews, nieces, dad, and mom. I always make sure we are all together at my gatherings. In all those photos and videos, have you not seen my mom at our big family events? Was that all just a dream? An illusion of mine?” Marjorie added: “My mom mentioned that I don’t invite her because I’m embarrassed of her. Why would you say that, Mom? You and my siblings know very well that you’ve often asked me not to post photos of us together because Gretchen and Claudine might get upset.”
Marjorie further claimed: “Mom, as God is my witness, you begged me to never fix things with my 2 sisters so you won’t be left out. I am 51 years old, and for more than 20 of those years, I have been punished for being the child who never bothered my parents with problems, the one who kept it together even while drowning to survive. With my mom, if you are not a problematic child, you become the least favorite.”
Calling the vlog’s Part 2 “false, unfair, and destructive,” she said: “God is all-knowing. God is watching. My mom said I was strong-willed — in a bad way. Mom, I should not be punished and insulted for being strong-willed. I fought so hard to get to this point. I had no choice. When the going gets tough for the favored child, I am made to suffer for it. She can do no wrong. The favored child is always the victim; the survivors are the villains.”
Explaining why she spoke up, Marjorie wrote: “I can’t be quiet anymore. My silence was no longer giving me peace; it was causing me great pain. In the interview, my mom implied I was ‘inggit,’ distant, and cold, then said she loved me. I’m confused because if she truly knew me, she’d know those words are the farthest from the truth.”
She concluded with a message to her mother: “Mom, I want you to know that I love you. And I have learned to accept whatever kind of love you can give me. It’s okay. In fact, I have surrendered to it. Instead of looking for affection and protection from you, I will pour all of my energy into being the best mom to my children. I am not a perfect mom, but they can trust me. You may ask why do I feel the need to clarify and explain, it’s because I am misunderstood. And when someone close to you distorts the truth in a very public way, it creates an ache that my silence cannot hold anymore.”
Julia Barretto, Marjorie’s daughter, commented “I love you” three times under the post.
LionhearTV remains open to carrying the side of Inday Barretto regarding Marjorie’s statement.
