The string of Beverly Hills 6750 controversies unfolded before the public eye like a real-life drama. There was “deception,” “betrayal,” “threats,” “denials,” “tussle,” and “pain.”
November 27, 2007: The alleged beating incident took place.
December 13: PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) put out the scoop “David Bunevacz and Jessica Rodriguez booted out of Beverly Hills 6750.”
December 14: David Bunevacz issued a statement from California.
December 18: David filed legal case against clinic partners.
December 21: Beverly Hills 6750 also filed charges against David for “misuse of company funds.”
February 1, 2008: PEP put out the report that Beverly Hills 6750’s affiliate in the U.S. does not exist.
The clinic partners “agonized” over the issues that beset their company.
David and Jessica felt betrayed.
In an interview with PEP last March 15, Jessica confessed, “When this thing happened, parang nalaman ko kung sino yung mga totoong kaibigan ko. Parang alam mo yun, kung sino yung mga kaibigan ko, hindi ko na sila kaibigan after this. Kung before 100 sila, siguro ngayon, sampu na lang sila.”
And for these 10 loyal friends, Jessica brimmed with gratitude.
“But yung sampu na ‘to na dinamayan kami and everything…who were really there for us and then talagang hindi kami iniwanan kahit anong bad publicity, they called us,” said Jessica in her online interview with PEP. “Some of them even visited us here in the States and talagang I’m so…Basta, I will really do like something great for all of these friends. Yun na, yung natitira na lang sa amin. And they know how generous, and ano, David is. I’m generous rin, eh.”
She also included this message to her friends in her email: “Thank you for letting me realize the true meaning of friendship even though we live in a very cynical world. Also, you know how David will reward you at the end.”
MESSAGE FOR THE FOES. When asked to give her message to the shareholders of BH 6750, Jessica emailed a forthright statement (published as is):
“I am really disappointed on how you handled the problem or should I say the situation that happened to BH 6750. ‘You chose to believe what you want to believe.’ You didn’t even try to hear my husband’s side. If you have acted normal business people, settled it by having a board meeting, maybe with a lawyer, sat down with David, etc. Instead, what did you do? You did it in a harsh way!
“Which really up to now have hurt and will always hurt me and my family. You may have contributed shares to the company but who worked hard for BH? Who made BH famous? Who went there everyday to supervise? And who makes abono for funds if we are short in cash? To make sure that no cheques would bounce and no delayed payments for the employee and doctors? Not you? It was David!
“Did it ever occur to you or questioned yourself, is BH 6750 really making money after one year of opening the business? Well, the answer is no! You guys must be dreaming on thinking wow, we got so famous and popular, I’m sure we are earning money, and we will have our money back by the end of the year, uh, duh! You must be all smarter than that... Well that is if you are.. And don’t forget that we have been paying 6750 for almost a year even before all of you existed as partners, and we have all the receipts for that, so Bev [Beverly Hills] actually owes us money.
“Oh well now that you are the ones handling and managing BH 6750. You will know and will also make abono when the funds are short because you don’t want any of the cheques bounce right? Or delay any of the employees’ salary?
“Oh well good luck to you all and I wish you well. I am just so pissed that I was not compensated in that clinic. Nasayang ang pagod ko, ideas ko. It was not worth it. I have so much plans for the clinic but you blew it. I will just give all my ideas and my MARKETING EXPERTISE WITH A COMPANY THAT WILL PAY ME AND TREAT ME WELL...”
She and David had been deeply hurt.
The clinic was her husband’s brainchild. The couple became the face of Beverly Hills 6750 when David served as president and Jessica assumed the role of marketing director. They devoted 100 percent of their energy to make it a competitive force in the aesthetic clinic arena. And Jessica just couldn’t believe that in return, they earned “threats” and “legal cases.”
In a phone interview with her last March 31, she said they were not given any salary, just a representation allowance.
On one hand, Jessica felt sorry for the BH 6750 management and staff.
She said: “We are sorry that you are in the middle of a storm that will ultimately destroy all of your hard work which neither you nor us can claim responsibility.”
To those who chose to keep quiet even if they know the “truth,” Jessica said: “Alam mo, maraming kaibigan ko ang nakakaalam kung ano ang nangyari, but of course, takot lang sila. Takot sila na magsalita, which, you know, I understand. Pero dadalhin nila iyan. Dadalhin nila iyan habang buhay. Yung konsensiya, dadalhin nila iyan habang buhay. Hindi sila nagsalita. Hindi nila kami ipinagtanggol kasi kumbaga ‘di ba, parang how can you sleep at night if you know…kung alam mo kung ano ang talagang nangyari and yet parang sinabi mo yung gan’on. Basta masama ang loob ko. Ang sama-sama ng loob ko sa kanila.”
And to their detractors, Jessica will just let them believe whatever they choose to believe. “Bahala na lang sila kung sino yung gusto nilang paniwalaan at hindi. Parang I don’t want to give detail ng mga nangyari at i-explain yung side namin. Let them see and wait, you know, after the case is done ‘di ba, kung ano talaga yung totoo. And I know that God will prevail.”
The uproar has gone a little quiet.
BH 6750 is now on “business-as-usual” mode.
David, Jessica, and her kids have started building a new life in the U.S., believing that “the truth will always show its beautiful face in the end.”
We heard all the sides of the story here in PEP, and the remaining question we have now—which is the true version?
Let’s all wait for the next part of this continuing saga.