Veteran actress Janice de Belen revealed that she did not hesitate to correct her daughter, Inah de Belen, following the latter’s highly publicized social media clash with content creator and entrepreneur Rosmar Tan.
During her guest appearance on ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’, Janice was asked about her reaction to the controversy and whether Inah sought her advice amid the online backlash.
“I cannot not get involved. I’m a mom,” Janice said.
According to the actress, she immediately reached out to her daughter to point out what she believed was wrong, but deliberately avoided prolonging the discussion.
“I called her. I immediately told her what was wrong, then I became quiet. Basta nasabi ko na, quiet na ako because I have to leave you to think about it. Ikaw na ’yan,” she shared.
Janice explained that after their initial conversation, she never brought up the issue again.
“When we saw each other after ko siya sinabihan, I never said anything. I did not talk to her about the issue. Nothing,” she said.
Only after the controversy had settled did Janice revisit the topic briefly.
“When it was over, recently lang, sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Oh see, tapos na. Pwede ba? Please? Ingat din.’ Hindi na ako nagbibigay ng mahabang sermon. Maikli na lang,” she added with a laugh.
The controversy began in early May after Inah responded to a social media comment comparing her appearance to Rosmar during a Flores de Mayo event she attended with longtime boyfriend Jake Vargas.
A netizen initially mistook Inah for Rosmar in a Facebook comment, prompting the actress to reply that she did not know who Rosmar was.
After searching for information about the influencer, Inah later posted: “Naresearch ko na siya, plssss don’t associate me with her, ew.”
The remark quickly went viral and sparked backlash online. Inah eventually deleted the comment and turned off comments on some of her social media posts.
Rosmar responded through her own platforms, expressing disappointment over Inah’s statement and questioning why she was being described negatively despite having no prior interaction with the actress.
As the issue gained traction online, some netizens came to Inah’s defense, arguing that the term “ew” may have been misunderstood and could have been intended as shorthand for “either way” rather than an expression of disgust.
Eventually, both parties stepped back from the public exchange, allowing the issue to cool down.
During the same interview, Janice also opened up about life as an empty nester. She shared that daughters Inah, Kaila Estrada, and Moira have already moved out, leaving only her son Yuan and her father at home.
The actress admitted that there are moments when she feels lonely, but she respects the fact that her children now have lives and careers of their own.
“I understand that they have their own lives, and I don’t want them to feel burdened or obligated,” she said.
Janice also spoke briefly about Inah’s relationship with Jake Vargas, revealing that she was never opposed to the couple living together.
“I wasn’t against the relationship because I’m not the one who will be living with them. My point at that time was, let’s do it right,” she explained.
When asked about the rumored relationship between Kaila Estrada and Daniel Padilla, Janice chose her words carefully.
“I am just happy that Kaila is happy,” she said. “For a parent, that’s what matters.”
She also revealed that her daughter Moira is expected to tie the knot in 2027.
