Gabby Concepcion's legal tussle with Rose Flaminiano dragged two more names into the picture. There's Nadia Montenegro, a friend of the Kapamilya star, and Cristy Fermin, who became Rose's "ally."
Nadia got involved in a word war with Rose Flaminiano. Cristy's tabloid columns and radio program became Rose's platforms for her tirades against Gabby.
The three women couldn't be stopped from talking. But Gabby kept his silence. Some PEPsters nudged him to say his piece, given that he's the central figure in the entire brouhaha. But the guy is a gentlemen, as Nadia put it in one of her exclusive interviews with PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal).
Before Gabby left for Rome, PEP asked him about these issues in an exclusive interview conducted right after his pictorial for I/M Clothing.
ON NADIA. The actor made it clear that his decisions were his own. In short, Gabby neither had a "sulsoltant" nor a "badviser."
His friendship with Nadia dates back to their Regal Babies days.
"I think bago pa sila [Nadia and her sister Tanya] mag-showbiz nun," he recounted. "They were friends of my brothers. They were younger than me. Ang tawag sa ‘kin ng mga yan, 'Kuya.' So when I left, hindi na nagbago yung relationship namin. Ang tingin nila sa akin ay kuya. Wala naman kaming masamang pinagsamahan, so andun yung brotherhood..."
And for the record, he stressed: "There was not one time that she influenced me in any decision. She's just there to support me. She supported me. And that's the end of the story. Anything else that happened to her is none of my control, not in her control either.
He was referring to Nadia's all-out war with Cristy, which overshadowed the "Rose versus Gabby" controversy.
PUBLICITY IS THE GAME. PEP asked him to comment about the suspension of Cristy's contracts with ABS-CBN and DZMM.
He gave quite a generic statement, "Ang daming changes sa pagsusulat na yung pagkakaintindi ng tao sa pagbabasa ng diyaryo... Tipong they [showbiz writers] have a tendency to, you know..."
We volunteered, "Exaggerate?"
He continued, "Well, it's always been like that. But they [people] won't take things seriously anymore. Unlike before, when they write bad articles about you, it's detrimental to your career. Now, I've heard from the experts that it's no longer the same."
Our query was sidetracked as Gabby shifted the topic to how celebrities see publicity as a necessary factor for their career.
He said, "It takes money to be in the newspapers and everybody wants to be there, everybody wants to be exposed because yun ang vehicle ng isang artista, eh. You have to be exposed."
But referring to the flak he got from Cristy's columns and radio show, Gabby simply said, "It's part of show business. Show business is like this. We just have to take the good with the bad. And I think personalities in the industry [have to have] a symbiotic relationship. We all fuel the interests of the industry.
IMPORTANCE OF SCRIPT. It was announced months ago that his aborted movie project with GMA Films would still push through. The last update: He will be paired with Iza Calzado.
But at present, the script is what's causing the delay.
He told PEP, "Ang hinahanap ko kasi sa movie na yun ay yung magandang istorya."
To further elaborate on the status of his pending project, he admitted, "Hindi naman porke sinabing may movie ka na, okay na, shooting na lang. Marami na akong script na tinanggihan kaya hindi kami makapag-umpisa kasi yung mga script na nakukuha ko, hindi maganda."
When asked if his leading lady is still going to be Iza, he replied, "Hindi ko alam."
Then he explained his preference to have a good script for his comeback movie.
"Very important ang script kasi it [will leave] a lasting impression. Kung ano yung iiwan mo sa kanila... You're only as good as your last movie. And I knew that when I first got in the industry, kaya very careful ako, eh. Hindi katulad nung dati na siyempre merong ibang nag-iisip para sa 'yo. Nagkakaroon kayo ng clash kasi hindi nagtutugma yung paniniwala mo sa ibang tao. Pero I hope things will change right now."
And what's a good script for him?
He answered, "Kasi andaming problema sa buhay, eh, andaming inaapi, ‘tapos wala namang revelation, walang feel-good factor yung movie. Maganda yung paglabas mo ng movie, ‘Gusto ko mangyari sa ‘kin 'yan. Sana maging ganun din ako.' E, everybody wants a happy ending, di ba?"
Gabby cited his Maalaala Mo Kaya episode, where he played the role of a taxi driver, as a good peg.
He stressed, "Gusto ko pagkatapos ko mapanood, pag-alis mo, ‘Wow, sarap! Buti, I feel good.' Yung pag-alis mo, you feel good about yourself. Hindi yung, patay or bitin, parang sayang...bitin."
Indeed, the former Regal Baby's point of view on showbiz has changed significantly. The Katorse leading man, who made his comeback seven months ago, is determined to take his craft seriously.
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Watch for Gabby's frivolous interview in the VIEWS section, where he narrated how he was discovered and how he honed his singing talent. He also noted the differences he observed in showbiz then and now, and chose one star whom he wants to be his "successor." In CELEB LIFE, his fans will be given "behind-the-scenes" shots of his pictorial with I/M Clothing. Don't miss them!