THE start of this year has brought a mix of good and bad vibes in the entertainment business. We were off to a good start with our back-to-back wins during the Miss Universe pageant and the recently concluded Pacquiao-Broner fight.
Yet, it seems that you can’t really have a colorful year without some bickering and the classic “her-words-against-mine” controversy floating on our social media feeds.
Case in point: the accusations of Kris Aquino against her former business partner Nicko Falcis – and to spice things up – how Gretchen Barretto managed to insert herself in the equation.
In my own words, I will try to keep you up to speed and very delicately share my thoughts about the issue. I actually don’t have much to add other than what the print and online media have already shared. As I’ve said earlier, I think the entire fiasco is a classic “it’s her words against mine” which I expect to drag on for months, no doubt about it.
Apparently, Kris accused Nicko of stealing money from her, which the latter denied by saying the money was spent for official transactions. Nicko is the former managing director of Kris Aquino’s digital company which is the Kris Cojuangco Aquino Productions (KCAP). Kris filed 44 counts of Qualified Theft against Nicko who used to be her talent manager and endorsement closer for 18 months.
Netizens were empathetic to Kris’ plight until Nicko stated that he received death threats from Kris. A recorded conversation in which the threat was made circulated on social media.
Kris previously admitted that she made a mistake when she threatened Nicko, explaining that it was due to her anger. However, she said that if they were actual grave threats, and Nicko should have filed a case against her the very next day.
Meanwhile, the name of Gretchen Barretto was dragged to the issue when she shared on her Instagram account an article about Nicko’s revelations about Kris’ threat. Greta has said in the intriguing post, “I feel for Mr. Nicko Falcis after reading this article. I salute him for his courage to speak the truth, fight for his family name & reputation in spite of the threat to his life No to bullies!!!! STOP POWER TRIPPING.”
La Greta’s involvement in this issue did not stop there. She also shared the viral recorded conversation on her IG account. Apparently, her support for Nicko continues. She has been more vocal in showing her support for Nicko against Kris. The actress publicly expressed her disdain for Kris in a series of social media posts after a leaked phone recording of the latter made its rounds on the internet.
Nicko has also been vocal in thanking Gretchen for her support amidst everything that has gone down between him and Kris by mentioning her in his social media posts. “Thank you, Ms. Gretchen Barretto for your post. Her act of posting this message in open support of my family and I, and against the seemingly formidable Aquino machinery, was a brave and bold move she made. We do not know each other so this is such a blessing, along with thousands of well-meaning messages of strength and support from random people. I’ve read her other posts here and there, and seen her YT videos. She is intelligent, refined and articulate but I never thought that she would be capable of going out of her comfort zone to write such a post. Salamat po! No to bullies! No to power tripping!”
Kris has addressed why she is not making a big deal out of Gretchen supporting Nicko in an Instagram Live video. She said that she is not bothered by La Greta siding with Nicko simply because she isn’t involved in the issue in the first place.
And as the public legal battle between Kris Aquino and Nicko Falcis continues, more and more people are showing whose side they’re on. As expected, they have formed their own camp just like how a typical internet troll would, they have A-Team Kris and Team Nicko, or in some cases a Team Greta.
Overall, this issue saddens me like any other showbiz feuds. The money-part actually makes it more problematic than usual. It is unfortunate that such issue seems to grow bigger by the minute because of words thrown at each other not only by the main people involved but even those who follow them on social media.
And just because of that, I don’t think this one would come to a halt anytime soon. I could only hope that they would finally put this to rest and maybe spread the love by forgiving each other especially since February is supposed to be a month of love.
Oh well, here’s to hoping.
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Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at [email protected]
