Dennis Padilla has spoken out about the pain he felt during his daughter Claudia Barretto’s wedding, revealing that he was heartbroken over how he was treated at the event.
In a candid interview with Ogie Diaz on YouTube, Dennis opened up about feeling sidelined at Claudia’s recent wedding to Basti Lorenzo, despite initially thinking he would walk her down the aisle.
According to Dennis, he had a family dinner with Claudia, Julia, and Leon on March 18, where he was also introduced to Basti. Claudia allegedly told him then, “she wanted me to look good on the wedding day,” which made him assume he would have a significant role.
But things took a turn on the day of the wedding. Dennis said he received a call from Claudia saying the ceremony might not happen. “Napilitan siya magsalita, ‘Kasi for the past one week, hindi ko nakikita ‘yung interest ni Basti na magpakasal kami. Parang hindi siya sure,’” he recalled her telling him.
He advised her not to push through if she wasn’t certain—but an hour and a half later, Claudia called again to say the wedding was on.
Dennis went to the church with his brother and mother, only to be seated with the godparents, not as the father of the bride. “Naiyak na ako… Grabe, it’s one of the most painful part ng buhay ko,” he said, describing how he cried as he watched the ceremony unfold from the sidelines.
When he asked the wedding coordinator about his role, he was simply told to “just follow the program.”
“To be honest, Ogie, mas masaya pa ako [kung] hindi ako invited tapos dumating na lang ako,” he added.
He was about to leave early when the coordinator informed him Claudia wanted a photo with him at the altar. Dennis agreed, saying, “Sabi ko kay Gene, ‘Gene, pagbigyan na natin. Kawawa naman ‘yung bata.’”
He believes Claudia didn’t approve of how things turned out. “Gusto niya akong kasama maghatid sa kanya. I can see it in her eyes eh,” he said.
Dennis also revealed that he was never formally invited and only received a Viber message two days after following up with Claudia. “Kasi ‘pag nakita ko na wala ang pangalan ko do’n, 50/50 kung dadating ako o hindi,” he shared.
The actor also hit back at those calling him “toxic,” saying, “A father’s longing for love from the children… do you call that toxic? A father who apologized in private and in public—do you call that toxic?”
“If the answer… is yes, then I consider myself toxic,” he said.
Feeling hurt and rejected, Dennis said he’s done trying to repair his relationship with Claudia, Julia, and Leon. “I won’t give them any chance to see me or talk to me. I will not give them any chance,” he declared. “This is a permanent goodbye.”
Claudia has yet to comment on her father’s emotional statements.
