Julia Barretto On Bashers Who Think Reconciling With Dad Dennis Padilla Is Just Damage Control To Save Her Career

STAR MAGIC held a special presscon for Julia Barretto as she celebrates her 18th birthday with a gold and silver themed debut on March 10, Wednesday, 7 PM at the Rizal Ballroom of Makati Shangrila. This will be shown on Sunday, March 29, as a TV special, “Just Julia: Beautiful @ 18” on “Sunday’s Best”, after “Gandang Gabi Vice”. What’s her birthday wish?

“Peace for everyone in my family, success in my career and sana makatapos ako ng college,” she says. “I’m graduating from high school this March and I’m planning to take up business management.”
We felt glad when she reconciled with her dad, Dennis Padilla. Is she still dropping her dad’s family name? “Wow, we really haven't really talked about it as a family. But okay, this is the first time I'm speaking about it, that I made a decision, and I'm actually sharing it first with you guys. I feel that, right now, there's really no need to change my last name. No need any more to change my last name.”

How does she react to bashers saying she’s just doing this for damage control because her career suffered when she got into a conflict with her dad? “How can they even think that way, honestly? How can they even think that a young child wants to get everything okay again with her own father just for publicity? I can't even embrace that thought. But it's very false. He's my dad, why wouldn't I want to be okay with him and have him there kasi it's my special day? I made it up with him because I want to be okay with my own father, not with anybody else. He will be my first dance.”
Who among her family members would she like to kiss and make up first? “Sana silang lahat na lang. Huwag na tayong pumili ng isa lang para complete at happy na kami. I personally invited everyone, my lolo and lola, my titos and titas.” Will her party be the means for them to patch things up with each other? “I want to believe that that's the purpose of my debut.”

What can she say now that there’s tough competition between her and other Kapamilya teen stars like Liza Soberano, Kathryn Bernardo and Janella Salvador? Some folks even say Liza has overtaken her because her “Mirabella” was not as successful as Liza’s “Forevermore”. “I’m not competing with Liza or the others. We were launched by Star Magic together and I consider them my bestest friends. When someone succeeds in our batch, I’m very happy for her. For Liza, I’m genuinely happy for her and I’m proud of her.”

Why did she agree to support the James Reid-Nadine Lustre love team in their movie “Para sa mga Hopeless Romantic”? “There’s nothing wrong with supporting the JaDine love team. This is my very first movie and it’s how you will play your role in the story that matters. This is a story within a story. Nadine writes a story at kami ni Inigo Pascual ang gaganap doon.”

For the traditional 18 roses, some of the guys are Matteo Guidicelli, Rayver Cruz, Enchong Dee, Khalil Ramos, Robi Domingo, Sam Concepcion, Dominic Roque, John Lapus, Enrique Gil and Inigo Pascual. Some of the girls in the 19 (yes, there’s an additional participant) are Janella Salvador, Liza Soberano, Maja Salvador, Erich Gonzales, Pokwang, her sister Dani Barretto and Liz Uy. She’ll wear a gown by Michael Cinco.