Marjorie Barretto has broken her silence following the recent interview of her mother, Inday Barretto, with veteran showbiz columnist and talent manager Ogie Diaz.
In a lengthy social media post, Marjorie expressed feeling hurt and exhausted after hearing her mother’s statements about her and their family.
“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,” Marjorie wrote.
Marjorie said she was shocked to hear that her mother claimed they were not on good terms, especially since they had just spent time together during her brother Mito’s wake and inurnment.
“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?” she added.
She questioned the timing and motive behind the interview, saying it felt like an attempt to stir conflict while their family was still grieving.
“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,” Marjorie said.
Marjorie also refuted claims that she had been excluding her mother from family gatherings, pointing out that Inday was always present in many of her family photos and heir 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?”She added that it was actually her mother who had requested not to be included in her social media posts.
“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,” she emphasized.
Marjorie also revealed that her mother had asked her not to reconcile with her two sisters: “Hearing that from my own mother and hearing it repeatedly over the years was deeply hurtful, even as an adult. My children felt that pain for me too. Mom, as God is my witness, you begged me to never fix things with my 2 sisters so you won't be left out.”
Image Credit: marjbarretto IG
Feeling punished for being the “non-problematic child,” Marjorie shared how she has long carried emotional pain within the family.
“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.”
Referring to the second part of her mother’s interview as “false, unfair, and destructive,” Marjorie lamented how being labeled as “strong-willed” was made to sound negative.
“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,” she expressed.
“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,” she added.
Marjorie said that seeing her children suffered from the feud in her family and keeping her silence from the situation “was no longer giving her peace but causing her 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 said.
Though in pain from the statement, Marjorie penned a message to her mom saying how instead of adding fuel to the fire, she’ll focus on being a great mother to her own kids.
“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,” she said.
Marjorie emphasized that her statement is a way for her to share her side as she was misunderstood.
“When someone close to you distorts the truth in a very public way, it creates an ache that my silence cannot hold anymore,” she ended her message.
In the interview, the Barretto matriarch revealed that she doesn’t “get along fine” with her daughter, Marjorie.
“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 paramg pareho kami made from the same pattern. Strong rin siya.”
Inday expressed how she felt “rejection” from Marjorie and felt like her love for her daughter was not enough.
“I feel rejection from her. I feel like, as a mother, I’m not talking about magkakapatid, I’m speaking for myself,” she expressed.”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.”
READ: Inday Barretto on her daughter Marjorie Barretto: ‘We don’t get along fine’
Inday noted how her relationship with Marjorie is hot and cold and cited times where Marjorie allegedly did not invite her to their family gatherings.
“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,” she revealed.
“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?" she said. “I don’t know why she’s like that to me.”
Despite their differences, Inday emphasized that love still exists within their family.
“This family, mag away-away kayo but no one can beat the love that is in this family kaya may away," she expressed.