Actress Barbie Imperial said she does not regret speaking up after being linked to a blind item that suggested an actress had been given a house in the South by a businessman.
In part two of her interview on ‘Ogie Diaz Inspires’, Barbie addressed the controversy, explaining that the blind item surfaced just minutes after she posted about her long-time dream of building her own house in Bicol.
According to Barbie, she shared a perspective design of the house she plans to build, only for a blind item to circulate shortly after, leading many netizens to assume she was the subject.
Asked by host Ogie Diaz why she chose Bicol for her dream home, Barbie explained that it was both practical and personal.
“Una-una po, hindi kaya ng budget dito sa Manila,” she said with a laugh. “Naisip ko po sa Bicol kasi pangarap ko po talagang magkabahay na sarili ko. Mayroon po kaming bahay doon na binili ko para kay mama, pero ako, ever since, pangarap ko na talaga magkaroon ng sarili kong bahay, may swimming pool at may second floor.”
The Kapamilya star shared that growing up, she and her family did not have a permanent home and often moved from place to place. This experience, she said, pushed her to promise herself that once she earned enough, she would build a stable home for her family.
Barbie first gained public attention as a housemate on ‘Pinoy Big Brother 737’ in 2015, where she was known as “The Doll along the Riles of Albay.” Years later, she said she had finally saved enough to begin working on her dream house.
When the blind item appeared, Barbie admitted she felt hurt and compelled to respond.
“Ang daming nagta-tag sa akin, ang daming nagsesend sa akin. Ang comments, pangalan ko na mismo,” she said. “Kaka-post ko lang, tapos biglang may gano’ng blind item. Parang maging masaya naman kayo para sa tao.”
She said she reached out to the website Radar.ph in a respectful manner to clarify the situation.
“I had to defend myself kasi pinaghirapan ko ’yun. Pera ko ’yun lahat,” she explained. “Wala naman sigurong masama kung ide-defend ko ang sarili ko.”
Barbie stressed that she wanted to stop the speculation before it escalated further, as many netizens were already assuming the blind item referred to her.
Ogie advised her that, as a rule, artists should avoid reacting to blind items. Laughing, Barbie agreed and said she would keep that in mind moving forward.
Despite this, she maintained that she does not regret her reaction.
“Hindi po ako nagsisisi na nag-react ako,” she said, noting that she also saw many people online defending her. “Siguro next time, hindi na lang ako papatol.”
She also clarified rumors linking her finances to her boyfriend Richard Gutierrez, saying the blind item did not reflect their reality.
“Hindi kami gano’n level na bahay-bahay ang binibigay,” she joked. “Regalo lang.”
Barbie went on to detail how she acquired the land for her house, revealing that she bought it in stages from a relative in Bicol starting in 2022. She later expanded the property in 2024 and combined the lots into a single title. The house design, she said, is being handled by her cousin, an architect she grew up with.
She also shared that she lives frugally, rarely travels, and prefers to invest her earnings into property and business.
“Matalino ako sa pera,” Barbie said. “Ayokong dumating sa panahon na wala akong mapupuntahan. Kapag babae ka, importante na may pera ka—para kung gusto mong umalis sa isang sitwasyon, kaya mo.”
As for whether Richard is her “end game,” Barbie chose to remain cautious.
“If ibibigay siya ni God, then okay. If hindi, okay din,” she said. “Ang pinaka-importante, grabe ’yung growth ko with Richard. Nag-mature talaga ako, lalo na sa pag-iisip muna bago magsalita.”
