'Life is indeed a journey': Actress gets job as waitress in Australia amid pandemic

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All set for #sheenimo2020 ❤️ Here is a preview of my Andrea Tetangco dress and @bayongmanila bag from their newest summer collection. 🛍

A post shared by Rich Asuncion-Mudie (@richasuncionmudie) on Feb 21, 2020 at 10:44pm PST

MANILA -- Rich Asuncion recently opened up about her life in Australia as she hopes to inspire her social media followers to keep moving forward even during challenging times.

In a lengthy Instagram post, the actress said she has been working as a waitress amid the pandemic.

Asuncion admitted that she had a hard time accepting it first, but she eventually realized that there is nothing wrong with the job.

"Tagal ko ring naghanap ng work. Kailangan mo 'yun dito dahil 'pag sa bahay ka lang, mas lalo kang malulungkot. Marami naman kasing opportunities dito basta 'di ka lang mapili. So 'yun na nga, dahil 'di na ako nagpaka-choosy, sinubukan ko na ang pagwi-waitress. Casual job at a restaurant," she said.

She went on: "Noong una nahirapan akong tanggapin pero na-realize ko ngayon, ano naman ang masama doon? Part pa rin naman siya ng Tourism course na kinuha ko sa UP. At wala akong karapatang mag-inarte kasi nabigyan ako [ng] panibagong chance to start anew."

According to Asuncion, her new job as a waitress is important to her as she, like most people, strives to navigate the "new normal" caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

"I know most of us will need to adjust to a new/different life after this pandemic. And that's not all that bad. To be able to survive through this is already a blessing. As hard at it may seem, look for the silver lining," she said.

"Hold on and say I am still a champion. Be grateful because some people have lost more than you already have. Sa ngayon ay tanggap ko na at masaya na ako sa bago kong buhay kasama ang aking pamilya," she added.

Aside from being a waitress, Asuncion said she is also set to continue her studies and was offered a full-time job at a day care center, allowing her to work closely with her daughter Bela.

On top of these, she and her husband, Filipino-Australian rugby player Benjamin Mudie, have "put down a reservation for our future home here in Australia."

"Life is indeed a journey full of highs and lows, but you should never stop moving and you should always keep moving forward," she said.

Read Asuncion's full post below:

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Long post ahead! ———————————————————— Simulan natin ang post na ito nang masaya. Napakasaya ko ngayong araw dahil natanggap ko na ang una kong sweldo...at sa wakas ay di na ako nalulugmok sa lungkot. Malaking bagay to dahil sa panahon ngayon ang hirap humanap ng dahilan para sumaya. Lalo pa at nag-adjust palang ako dito sa Australia. Tagal ko rin naghanap ng work. Kailangan mo yun dito dahil pag sa bahay ka lang mas lalo kang malulungkot. Marami naman kasing opportunities dito basta di ka lang mapili. So yun na nga, dahil di na ko ako nagpaka-choosy😂 sinubukan ko na ang pag wi-waitress. Casual job at a restaurant. Nung una nahirapan ako tanggapin pero narealize ko ngayon, ano naman ang masama dun. Part pa rin naman sya ng Tourism course na kinuha ko sa UP. At wala akong karapatan maginarte kasi nabigyan ako panibagong chance to start anew . My point here is, I know most of us will need to adjust to a new/different life after this pandemic. And that’s not all that bad. To be able to survive through this is already a blessing. As hard as it may seem, look for the silver lining. Hold on and say I am still a champion. Be grateful because some people have lost more than you already have. Sa ngayon ay tanggap ko na at masaya na ko sa bago kong buhay kasama ang aking pamilya. 😊Nakapag-enrol na rin ako to continue my studies and last week, I was offered a full-time job at a Daycare where I can work closely with Bela. Life is indeed a journey full of highs and lows but you should never stop moving and you always keep moving forwards. P.S. Ben and I have also just put down a reservation for our future home here in Australia. What a blessing!🏡

A post shared by Rich Asuncion-Mudie (@richasuncionmudie) on Jun 28, 2020 at 7:26pm PDT

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Japanese actress Okae dies after novel coronavirus infection

TOKYO -- Japanese actress and TV host Kumiko Okae died Thursday of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, her management office said. She was 63.

Okae, who died at a Tokyo hospital at 5:20 a.m., developed a fever on April 3, the office said, adding she was hospitalized after her condition suddenly deteriorated 3 days later and then tested positive for the virus.

A familiar figure who appeared in TV dramas and variety shows, Okae underwent an operation for breast cancer last year.

She underwent radiation treatment from the end of January to mid-February, according to the office.

Kyodo News

Actress Iza Calzado tests positive for COVID-19, recovering well - manager

MANILA — Actress Iza Calzado has tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), her manager Noel Ferrer said on Saturday, after being confined in a hospital for pneumonia.

Her manager Noel Ferrer shared the actress' condition in a statement on his Facebook account, saying: "Iza Calzado received her results yesterday that she tested positive for CoVid. She is recovering well as she was aggressively treated for pneumonia and the virus. She can actually breath now without any oxygen assistance." 

Ferrer said Calzado will be tested to check if she has been ruled negative for the virus. Her husband and other people she interacted with will be screened as well, but they have not shown symptoms, he said. 

The actress is the second showbiz personality to be confirmed infected with COVID-19, after screen veteran Christopher de Leon.

De Leon has since been discharged from the hospital.

Another actor, Menggie Cobarrubias, who succumbed to pneumonia recently, was tested for COVID-19. His results have yet to be released.

Prior to the Luzon lockdown due to coronavirus, which effectively halted showbiz productions, Calzado was filming the upcoming ABS-CBN teleserye "Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin."

It's unclear when Calzado first showed symptoms of pneumonia.

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LOOK: Julia Barretto goes topless in birthday post

MANILA -- Actress Julia Barretto surprised her followers and fans as she posted photos showing her topless as she turned 23 on Tuesday, March 10.

"In this chapter in my life, I am FREE. Free to speak. Free to act. Free to feel. Free to love. Because this time, I am choosing ME," she wrote in the caption.

Last year, Barretto made headlines after she got involved in the controversial breakup of fellow Star Magic talents Gerald Anderson and Bea Alonzo.

Anderson has already denied that Barretto was involved in his split with Alonzo.

Barretto, who just finished iWant series "I Am U" with Tony Labrusca, is set to star in a new ABS-CBN television drama.
   
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Police task group formed to probe shooting of Kim Chiu's van

MANILA - A special investigation task group was formed for Wednesday's shooting incident in Quezon City involving actress Kim Chiu's vehicle, the local police said Thursday.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) created the body to establish the motive behind the incident and to identify and arrest the perpetrators, it said in a statement.

Chiu, her personal assistant, and her driver were unhurt after two unidentified men on board a motorcycle shot her van along Katipunan Avenue in Barangay UP Campus around 6 a.m. Wednesday. The suspects fled towards Commonwealth Avenue.


QCPD director Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo said the 10-member SITG "Chiu" will be led by Col. Enrico Vargas, the QCPD deputy director for operations.

He said all possible angles of the incident are being looked into, including a case of mistaken identity.

Investigators have started gathering testimonies from witnesses and CCTV footage to help identify the perpetrators, he added.

Motorists with dashboard cameras who may have recorded the strafing are also being encouraged to come forward.

Chiu was on her way to the taping of her ABS-CBN TV series "Love Thy Woman" when the incident happened.

In an exclusive interview aired Wednesday night on TV Patrol, the actress said she was puzzled over the motive for the strafing.


ABS-CBN condemned the incident and said it will work closely with authorities.

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'I was so scared': Kim Chiu shaken over van shooting

MANILA - Kim Chiu assured her friends and followers that no one from her team got harmed after two gunmen onboard a motorcycle fired at her van along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City on Wednesday morning.

In an Instagram post, Chiu said she was sleeping inside her car when she was awakened by several gunshots.

“I don’t have an idea what really happened, mistaken identity? I guess?? Napag tripan?” she said. 

“I was shocked and asked my driver what happened, then I saw this bullet on the windshield where my head is laying ‘buti nakahiga ako.’ Pano kung tinuloy ko magbasa ng script?”


Still shaken by the incident, Chiu said: “I was so scared. I don't know what to feel right now. Wala naman akong kaaway or ka atraso. Kung sino man ang gumawa nito Diyos na ang bahala sa inyo dalawa.”

At the end of the day, the actress is just grateful that she, her driver and her personal assistant were unscathed.

“Inisip ko na lang walang nasaktan sa amin. God protected us,” she said.

While she may not be able to attend to calls or messages for the meantime, Chiu thanked everyone who has been checking up on her.

It was earlier reported that the actress proceeded to her taping after the incident. 

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Actress Rose McGowan blasts Natalie Portman over Oscars cape

LOS ANGELES -- US actress and #MeToo activist Rose McGowan has dismissed as a "fraud" Natalie Portman's Oscar dress embroidered with the names of female filmmakers overlooked for best director nominations.

In a post on Facebook, the actress said she found Portman's red carpet Oscar protest "deeply offensive to those of us who actually do the work."

"I'm not writing this out of bitterness," she added. "I am writing this out of disgust."

McGowan said that while the black Dior cape stitched with the names of the snubbed directors got "rave reviews from the mainstream media" it was nothing more than "an actress acting the part of someone who cares."

"Natalie, you have worked with two female directors in your very long career -- one of them was you," McGowan wrote. "You have a production company that has hired exactly one female director -- you."

In a statement to AFP, Portman agreed with McGowan that she didn't deserve to be called brave.

"I agree with Ms. McGowan that it is inaccurate to call me 'brave' for wearing a garment with women's names on it," Portman said. 

"Brave is a term I more strongly associate with actions like those of the women who have been testifying against Harvey Weinstein the last few weeks, under incredible pressure," she added in a reference to the disgraced Hollywood mogul on trial in New York charged with predatory sexual assault.

She also acknowledged that she hasn't worked with as many female directors as she would have liked and pointed out the challenges films directed by women and minorities were up against.

McGowan is among the many women who have accused Weinstein of sexual assault.

McGowan said in her post that while Portman and other actresses have spoken out against the underrepresentation of women in the movie industry, they did little to effect change.

"Until you and your fellow actresses get real, do us all a favor and hang up your embroidered activist cloak, it doesn't hang right," she said.

Agence France-Presse

Pamela Anderson and new husband split after just 12 days

LOS ANGELES - Former "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson and movie mogul Jon Peters have called it quits just 12 days after tying the knot.

The actress and animal rights activist wed "Batman" producer Peters on January 20 at a ceremony in Malibu reportedly attended by her 2 sons and his 3 daughters and ex-wife.

But there was apparently trouble in paradise as Anderson abruptly flew to her native Canada on Saturday morning, The Hollywood Reporter said, just days after posting a photo of herself and Peters on her Instagram account.

"I have been moved by the warm reception to Jon's and my union," Anderson, 52, said in a statement to US media. 

"We would be very grateful for your support as we take some time apart to re-evaluate what we want from life and from one another."

The pair had each been married 4 times prior.

Anderson said in her statement that the wedding had never been formalized and the pair had decided to step back while mulling their next move.

She was previously married to rockers Tommy Lee and Kid Rock. She twice wed professional poker player Rick Salomon. 

More recently she dated French soccer star Adil Rami, with whom she lived in France.

Peters, 74, a former hair stylist, rose to Hollywood prominence after a high-profile romance with Barbra Streisand, going on to produce her 1976 version of "A Star Is Born." 

He subsequently oversaw the Tim Burton "Batman" films in the 1980s and 1990s, and brought another DC comic books icon back to the screen in 2006's "Superman Returns."

He was co-chairman of Columbia Pictures for a stint in the 1990s.

Peters reportedly first met Anderson at the Playboy Mansion in the 1980s, and proposed to her shortly after.

"There are beautiful girls everywhere. I could have my pick, but -- for 35 years -- I've only wanted Pamela," he told THR when the pair tied the knot in January.

Agence France-Presse 

Frozen embryo? Adoption? Iza Calzado bares plans for motherhood

MANILA - Veteran actress Iza Calzado on Saturday shared that she and her husband, businessman Ben Wintle, have been discussing about having children in the near future.

Calzado, who has been married to the Booky app boss for nearly a year, said they plan to have kids as soon as she wraps up several commitments and projects.

"Sa tamang panahon, pagkatapos ng mga proyekto," she said.

The couple agreed to have 3 children, whether through natural birth, assisted reproductive technology or adoption.

"We have frozen [my] embryo," the 37-year-old actress told reporters on the sidelines of the ABS-CBN Ball 2019.

"Pang-security lang po ito dahil ako ay hindi na bata... but I would love to try [getting pregnant] naturally," she said.

Calzado said that she is thankful for having a "very supportive" husband, who was also open to having foster children.

"We are more than willing to adopt. These are things that we've talked about," she said.

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Geena Davis says Hollywood gender imbalance an 'embarrassment'

PARIS (Reuters) - The under-representation of women in Hollywood behind the camera is an “embarrassment”, American actor and activist Geena Davis said at France’s Deauville Film Festival.

Davis, who starred in the cult classic “Thelma and Louise” with Susan Sarandon, criticized the Hollywood gender gap from the red carpet of the festival, where she was promoting her new documentary “This Changes Everything” on gender inequality.

“I think I heard today that in France it’s 24% are female directors, and in the United States only 4%. I mean, 24 is not good enough either, but 4% is an embarrassment,” she told reporters on Tuesday.

The documentary, produced by Davis and directed by Tom Donahue, features interviews with Hollywood actors including Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain and Tiffany Haddish, and examines gender discrimination in the media and entertainment industry.

The festival for American cinema in France’s western seaside town paid tribute to the 63-year-old’s acting career, which was launched by the 1982 film “Tootsie.” Six years later, she won an Academy Award for her role in “The Accidental Tourist.”

Davis said the #MeToo movement, which has helped women speak out about sexual violence and revealed the prevalence of sexual harassment and attacks against women around the world, has made an impact in Hollywood.

She said that earlier in her career female actors were discouraged from speaking out by being told there would always be someone else willing to take their roles.

Davis, who also founded the nonprofit research group the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, recently revealed that she was once forced to sit on a director’s lap for a romantic scene during an audition.

Reporting by Kathryn Carlson in Paris; Editing by Leigh Thomas and Matthew Lewis

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Scarlett Johansson tops Forbes best-paid actress list for 2nd year

LOS ANGELES, United States—Superhero Black Widow is a woman at the top of her game, and so is the actress who plays her—Scarlett Johansson is the world's highest paid actress for the second year in a row, according to Forbes' annual ranking published Friday.

Johansson, 34, earned $15.5 million more than she did in 2018, primarily due to the immense global success of "Avengers: Endgame"—the final chapter of the saga—for which she earned $35 million.

The actress will take up the Black Widow mantle again in 2020 for an eponymous spin-off film.

But even though Johansson and her cohorts on the list all earned more than $20 million, pay inequality is alive and well in Hollywood. Johansson earned $56 million total over the past year, but that amount lands her at only eighth place for the combined list of highest-paid actors and actresses.

For comparison, Robert Downey Jr., Johansson's "Avengers" costar, earned about $55 million for his turn as Iron Man in "Endgame."

According to the Forbes ranking of highest-paid actors in the world, published Wednesday, Downey Jr. comes in at third place with $66 million total, behind fellow Avenger Chris Hemsworth ($76.4 million) and Dwayne Johnson ($89.4 million).

For the women, second place goes to Sofia Vergara, an industry veteran but a newcomer to the list. The "Modern Family" sitcom star earned $44.1 million between June 1, 2018 and June 1, 2019.

She is followed by Reese Witherspoon ($35 million) and Nicole Kidman ($34 million), costars on the series "Big Little Lies."

Jennifer Aniston, who came in third in 2018 mainly due to advertising campaigns for major brands, has been relegated to fifth place with a mere $28 million for the year. The former "Friends" star—a show which also featured a guest appearance from Witherspoon—stars in a new series for Apple's on-demand web television service.

Other new list arrivals include Elisabeth Moss, boosted by the series "The Handmaid's Tale," and Australian actress Margot Robbie.

Angelina Jolie, who was number 2 on the list in 2018, did not make the cut this year, along with Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lawrence.

The top 10:

1. Scarlett Johansson ($56 million)

2. Sofia Vergara ($44.1 million)

3. Reese Witherspoon ($35 million)

4. Nicole Kidman ($34 million)

5. Jennifer Aniston ($28 million)

6. Kaley Cuoco ($25 million)

7. Elisabeth Moss ($24 million)

8. Margot Robbie ($23.5 million)

9. Charlize Theron ($23 million)

10.Ellen Pompeo ($22 million)

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Former Miss USA Olivia Jordan reveals she was molested, raped

MANILA – Former Miss USA Olivia Jordan took to social media where she revealed that she was molested as a child and was raped as a teenager. 

The revelation was part of a lengthy Instagram post, where Jordan aired her opinion about laws concerning abortion.

Jordan said it is through that lens that she views “the new policies that govern what happens to a woman’s body as a direct assault.”

“Decisions were made for my body without my consent. My body and mind have been traumatized in ways I am still recovering from many years later. Maybe it sounds unjust to compare criminalizing abortion to being raped; but to me, it feels the same,” she said.

“I used to get angry when confronted with anti-abortion messaging. I used to want to yell and scream back how I felt. But then we would just have two people screaming,” she added.


Jordan clarified that she is stating her piece not to impose her beliefs on others.

“No one will ever force you to have an abortion. And I ask, if you could pause for one second and realize how insane it is to impose your views on me, to force me or any woman to endure a pregnancy she is not ready for, maybe even one she didn’t consent to in the first place,” she said.

“Maybe you haven’t had the life experience I have had where your body has been controlled too many times without your consent but I have, and I will fight hard to stop any person from enduring the same fate,” she saud,

To end her post, Jordan appealed for others not to support “policies that strip people of their rights and their free choice.”

“Because when men make laws that govern women’s body without their consent, I feel like I am being assaulted all over again. I feel like we are letting the perpetrators win,” she said.

She then hoped “for a better future where we can realize that we can live in harmony even when we don’t agree.”

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Hollywood icon Doris Day dead at 97

Doris Day, the US screen icon famed for her wholesome, girl-next-door appeal in a string of box office hits, died Monday at age 97, her foundation said in a statement to US media.

The Doris Day Animal Foundation said the actress and animal rights activist, who had suffered a bout of pneumonia, died at her Carmel Valley, California home, surrounded by friends and family, multiple news outlets reported.

During much of her career, Day reigned as Hollywood's top female box office attraction, a darling of an adoring public who snapped up tickets to see her in musicals, comedies, suspense thrillers and westerns.

The perky blonde film star, whose career spanned nearly 40 movies from 1948 through 1968, excelled in one particular film genre of the day -- the "bedroom farce" -- typified by the 1959 hit film "Pillow Talk," with Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, and James Garner.

Renowned film expert Molly Haskel once called her "the most underrated, underappreciated actress that has ever come out of Hollywood."

Critics however, were less enthralled. She only ever garnered just one Oscar nomination -- for "Pillow Talk."

Day married four times, most recently to restaurateur Barry Comden, from 1976 to 1981. 

She had her only child with agent and producer Marty Melcher -- record producer Terry Melcher, who died after a long illness in 2004.

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Actress Katherine Helmond of TV's 'Soap,' 'Who's the Boss?' dies at 89

Actress Katherine Helmond, a seven-time Emmy Award nominee who played lusty matriarchs on the hit television sitcoms "Soap" and "Who's the Boss" from the 1970s into the 1990s, died last month at the age of 89, her talent agency said on Friday.

Helmond, who also delivered a memorable turn as a vain woman obsessed with plastic surgery in director Terry Gilliam's dystopian film "Brazil" (1985), died Feb. 23 at her Los Angeles home due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. 

"My beautiful, kind, funny, gracious, compassionate, rock," Alysssa Milano, who starred alongside Helmond in "Who's the Boss," said on Twitter. "You were an instrumental part of my life. You taught me to hold my head above the marsh! You taught me to do anything for a laugh! What an example you were!"

Helmond was in her 40s and had already been nominated for a Tony Award for her work on Broadway before landing a starring role on "Soap," a prime-time parody of daytime soap operas that ran on the ABC network for four seasons from 1977 to 1981.

She then starred on "Who's the Boss?" on ABC with Milano, Tony Danza and Judith Light from 1984 to 1992, followed by recurring roles on sitcoms "Coach" starring Craig T. Nelson from 1995 to 1997 and "Everybody Loves Raymond" with Ray Romano from 1996 to 2004.

“Katherine Helmond was a remarkable human being and an extraordinary artist; generous, gracious, charming and profoundly funny," Light said in a statement. "She taught me so much about life and inspired me indelibly by watching her work. Katherine was a gift to our business and to the world, and will be deeply missed.”

Helmond played Jessica Tate, a sex-crazed scatterbrain, "Soap," a show known for warped characters and deliberately farfetched plots, including alien abduction and demonic possession. People magazine referred to its "cheerfully tasteless handling of such topics as impotence, homosexuality, promiscuity, adultery, etc." and it caused some controversy when it debuted.

"I don't think it's lurid," Helmond told People. "Daytime soaps go into areas - lesbianism, married nuns, a woman in love with a priest - that would not be touched in prime time. And they're super-serious. We just take real situations and exaggerate them."

On "Who's the Boss?" Helmond played Mona Robinson, the man-crazy mother to Light's character, an ad executive who hires retired baseball player Danza as her housekeeper.

Helmond won two Golden Globe awards in 1981 for "Soap" and in 1989 for "Who's the Boss?" She never won an Emmy but was nominated four times for "Soap," twice for "Who's the Boss?" and once for "Everybody Loves Raymond."

Helmond also appeared in director Alfred Hitchcock's last movie, "Family Plot" (1976), and in Gilliam's films "Time Bandits" (1981) as an ogre's wife and in the visually striking "Brazil" (1985) as the plastic surgery aficionado.

In one "Brazil" scene, she sits in a chair chastising her son, played by Jonathan Pryce, over his lack of ambition while a doctor stretches her face into ridiculous contortions and covers it in plastic wrap. "Already, she's twice as beautiful as she was before," the surgeon proudly announces.

Helmond was born on July 5, 1929, in Galveston, Texas, and attended the fundamentalist Christian Bob Jones University. She later became a Buddhist.

Helmond took a variety of roles on stage and TV but her career took off after being nominated in 1973 for a Tony Award for her performance in Eugene O'Neill's "The Great God Brown."

She is survived by her second husband, David Christian.

"She was the love of my life," Christian said in a statement on Friday. "We spent 57 beautiful, wonderful, loving years together, which I will treasure forever." 

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‘The adventure begins with this one’: Sam Pinto reveals new boyfriend

MANILA—Sam Pinto was last reported to have been dating football player Misagh Bahadoran. But apparently their relationship ended, after the actress posted a photo of her with her new man, sharing that she's starting a new "adventure." 

This week, she posted on Instagram a picture of her with Anthony Semerad, a PBA player who is currently with TNT KaTropa. "And so the adventure begins with this one," she wrote. 

Her sweet sentiment was shared by her new beau, who gushed on his own Instagram page that he rarely meets "someone who is basically the exact same person as you." 

"There is never bad vibes, jealousy or competitive ego’s between us, we’re just two people chasing dreams that want the best for each other," he said, tagging Pinto's account. 

It remains unclear when Bahadoran and Pinto broke up, or what caused their split but the Azkals player admitted in a report that they called their romance off "months ago." 

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Sofia Andres admits battling anxiety

MANILA -- Former "Bagani" star Sofia Andres opened up about her mental health on Thursday, revealing on social media that she is suffering from anxiety.

She also admitted that she has started counselling and therapy.

The actress also wrote a message to all those who are also battling anxiety, assuring them that they have nothing to be ashamed of.

"To be honest I was real scared to tell my friends, my loved ones, and my family about the anxiety attacks I have been experiencing. Everyone is an individual and everyone gets anxious, just on different levels and to different extents," she said.

According to the website Health.com, anxiety comes in many forms such as panic attacks, anxiety attacks, phobia, and social anxiety. These disorders affect how people feel and behave and can even cause physical symptoms.

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Meghan Markle joins Royal family for Christmas church service

The Royal family arrived on Monday (December 25) at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandrigham to attend the traditional Christmas Day church service.

Prince Harry's fiancee, American actress Meghan Markle, joined Queen Elizabeth and other senior Windsors for their family Christmas celebrations, in what commentators said was a break with royal protocol that royal partners must wait until they are married before being invited.

The queen and her close family usually spend the festive season at her Sandringham estate in eastern England and Buckingham Palace said she and the other senior royals would attend the service at the local church on Christmas Day as they have done for many years.

Last month, Queen Elizabeth's grandson, the fifth-in-line to the British throne, and Markle, who stars in the U.S. TV legal drama "Suits", announced their engagement with the marriage to take place at Windsor Castle in May next year.


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Isabel Granada dies at 41

Pumanaw na si Isabel Granada pagkatapos ng halos dalawang linggong pagka-comatose dahil sa aneurysm.

Siya ay 41 years old.

Kinumpirma mismo ng mister niyang si Arnel Cowley ang malungkot na balitang ito, sa pamamagitan ng Facebook post, pasado alas-dose ng madaling-araw ngayong Linggo, November 5.

Pahayag ni Arnel, "It is with great sadness that my wife Isabel Granada has peacefully passed here in Doha Qatar.

"She has been a fantastic wife, mother and daughter.

"She always did her best in everything she did, whether it be in front of a camera or sports.

"I would also like to take this time to thank the Filipino community in Doha for giving their full support throughout this difficult time for myself and the family.

"Baby..wherever you might be..just always remember that I LOVE YOU. and I miss you very much."

Maging ang ex-husband ni Isabel na si Jericho Aguas ay naghayag din ng pagdadalamhati sa pagpanaw ng aktres.

Ayon sa Facebook post ni Jericho kagabi, November 4, "Malaki ang naging parte mo sa aking buhay..

"Binigyan mo ako ng isang gwapot matalinong anak, makulay ang 14 yrs nating pagsasama…

"Sa lahat… mula sa aking pusot kaluluwa.. maraming maraming salamat… pahinga ka na… paalam Isa…"

Ayon sa pinsan ni Isabel na si Joseph Rivera, binawian ng buhay ang aktres nitong Sabado, November 4, bandang 6 P.M. (Qatar time).

Isinugod at na-confine ang actress-singer sa Hamad General Hospital sa Doha, Qatar, matapos siyang biglang mag-collapse noong October 24.

Naulila ni Isabel ang kanyang mister na si Arnel Principe-Cowley, anak na si Hubert Thomas Jericho Granada Aguas, at ina na si Isabel "Mommy Guapa" Villarama.

Si Hubert, 14, ay anak ni Isabel kay Jericho.



FILM AND TV PROJECTS. Mahigit tatlong dekada ang inilagi ni Isabel sa showbiz industry.

Kabilang sa mga pelikulang ginawa ni Isabel noong bata pa siya ay ang mga sumusunod: Magchumikap Ka (1985), Bakit Madalas Ang Tibok ng Puso? (1987), Remember Me, Mama (1987), 1+1=12+1 (1987), Wanted Bata-Batuta (1998), Knock, Knock Who’s There? (1998), Kambal Tuko (1988), Regal Shocker The Movie (1989), Magic To Love (1989), Isang Araw Walang Diyos (1989).

Bilang teenager, kabilang sa mga pelikulang nilabasan ni Isabel ay: Papa’s Girl (1990), Lessons in Love (1990), Shake Rattle & Roll 2 (1990), Anak Ni Janice (1991), Umiyak Pati Langit (1991), Michael and Madonna 2 (1993), Chickboys (1994).

Madalas din siyang maging leading lady sa action movies noong mid-90s hanggang early 2000s.

Kabilang sa ginawang action films ni Isabel ay: Grepor Butch Belgica Story (1996), Resbak (1995), Pards (1995), Boy Chico: Hulihin Si Ben Tumbling (1997), Batang .45 (1999), Laban Kung Laban (2000), Anghel dela Guardia (2000), Eskort (2000), Masikip Na ang Mundo Mo, Labrador (2001), Aagos ang Dugo (2001), Kapitan Ambo: Outside de Kulambo (2001).

Nakagawa rin ng serious at sexy roles si Isabel, kagaya ng Ligaya Ang Itawag Mo Sa Akin (1997), Hubad Sa Ilalim ng Buwan (1999), at Halik ng Sirena (2001).

Sa mundo naman ng telebisyon, naging bahagi si Isabel ng sikat na youth-oriented show ng GMA Network na That’s Entertainment (1986-1996) ng yumaong Master Showman na si German “Kuya Germs” Moreno. Kabilang siya sa Tuesday group.

Marami rin siyang ginawang teleserye para sa GMA Network at ABS-CBN.

Sa Kapuso network, nakasama si Isabel sa cast ng Villa Quintana (1995-1997), Ikaw Na Sana (1997-1998), Pasan Ko ang Daigdig (2007), Zaido (2007), Kaputol ang Isang Awit (2008), Lalola (2008), Panday Kids (2010), Daldalita (2011), Cielo de Angelina (2012), The Half Sisters (2014), at Meant To Be (2017).

Sa Kapamilya network naman ay ginawa niya ang Sa Puso Ko Iingatan Ka (2001-2003) at Got To Believe (2013).

Ang mga huling acting projects ni Isabel ay para sa drama anthologies na Maalaala Mo Kaya ng ABS-CBN at Tadhana ng GMA-7.

source: pep.ph

Pregnant? Nadine Lustre speaks up

MANILA – Nadine Lustre laughed off rumors that she is pregnant.

In an interview on Wednesday, the actress said she doesn’t know where the fake news is coming from considering that she has lost a lot of weight lately.

“Hindi ko po alam. Baka pagkain lang po 'yung nasa loob ng tiyan ko,” she said, laughing.

Asked how she maintains her slim figure, Lustre said: “Nag-gi-gym po ako pero hindi siya regular. Controlled eating lang po ako talaga.”

The actress also shared how she deals with her bashers who spread lies about her on social media. “Depende. May times na dedma. May times talaga na kailangan mag-speak up ka,” she quipped.

Meanwhile, Lustre said she is excited be part of “It’s Showtime” as a regular host beginning next month. Currently, she co-hosts the show three times a week.

As to the best thing she’s learned so far in hosting, Lustre said: “Relax lang, maging open ka lang sa lahat ng sasabihin mo. Siyempre nakaka-relate ka sa iba’t ibang klase ng tao. Nakaka-relate ako kila Vice. Natututo ako mag-host.”

Aside from “It’s Showtime,” the actress is also working on a movie with her boyfriend and onscreen partner, James Reid, but they cannot reveal any details about it just yet.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

US television icon Mary Tyler Moore dead at 80

LOS ANGELES - Legendary actress Mary Tyler Moore, who delighted a generation of Americans with her energetic comic performances and broke barriers with her iconic portrayal of a single career woman, died Wednesday after years of ill health. She was 80.

Moore's eponymous sitcom ran for seven seasons in the 1970s and was named by Time Magazine as one of 17 shows that "changed television."

She died in hospital in Connecticut, according to media reports, after battling diabetes for years and undergoing brain surgery in 2011.

"Today, beloved icon Mary Tyler Moore passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine," her longtime representative Mara Buxbaum told AFP in a statement.

"A groundbreaking actress, producer, and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile."

"The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was radical in its time -- featuring a single woman, living on her own, and chasing her dream as a television reporter.

It also spawned numerous spin-offs for its popular supporting cast of quirky, slightly neurotic characters, launching Moore's behind-the-scenes career.

As top executives of MTM Enterprises, Moore and then-husband Grant Tinker created and produced "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its spinoffs, and were also responsible for hit shows including "Hill Street Blues," "St. Elsewhere" and "Remington Steele."

- 'Effortless piece of cake' -

"A minute's silence as we remembered one of the true greats of TV comedy," tweeted actor Stephen Fry, who was rehearsing on the Hollywood stage made famous by Moore's show.

Michael Keaton described her as "iconic, my boss, castmate and a friend" while filmmaker Kevin Smith said she was a "tireless defender of animals, and scourge of diabetes."

"Truly she turned the world on with her smile," he added, referring to the lyrics of her show's theme song.

US media mogul Oprah Winfrey has said Moore was one of her early inspirations.

Winfrey said she watched her show every week as a child, and wanted "to be Mary Tyler Moore. I wanted to be Mary, I wanted to live where Mary lived."

Moore's first big break came in 1961, when she played spunky stay-at-home wife Laura Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show."

In the popular sitcom, the TV couple famously slept in separate twin-size beds, and Moore was limited to wearing capri pants in just one scene per episode.

Van Dyke said working with the "beautiful, bright and talented," Moore was "an effortless piece of cake."

Speaking at the 2012 Screen Actors Guild awards, where he presented Moore with a lifetime achievement award, Van Dyke said he initially had his doubts about the unknown 20-something, wondering, "Can she do comedy?"

- Emmy winner, Oscar nominee -

It turns out, he said, she could do "everything." She danced, sang, did slapstick, and was such a perfect onscreen match for him, Van Dyke said, that many viewers wondered whether the couple were also married in real life.

On the big screen, Moore starred opposite Elvis Presley in "Change of Habit," and with Julie Andrews in "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Robert Redford's searing family drama "Ordinary People."

She also took home numerous Emmy awards for her television work and a Tony Award for a Broadway performance in "Whose Life Is It Anyway."

Behind the scenes, Moore faced a number of personal difficulties, including an addiction to alcohol. Her only child, Richie, born during her first marriage to Richard Meeker, struggled with emotional issues and drug abuse.

He shot and killed himself in 1980, at age 24, in an incident that was officially deemed an accident.

Moore, who was born in Brooklyn and moved to California as a child, married her third husband, Robert Levine, in 1983. She was an active spokeswoman for animal rights and for diabetes, which she was diagnosed with in her 30s.

"[Diabetes] has taken a toll on her. She's not well at all," Van Dyke told the "Larry King Now" show in October 2015.

"What you see is what you get. That's Mary Tyler Moore. She didn't have a bad bone in her," King told CNN.

source: news.abs-cbn.com