Pagkatapos ng ilang buwang espekulasyon, nagsalita na sa wakas si Billy Crawford tungkol sa estado ng relasyon nila ni Coleen Garcia.
Ayon kay Billy, totoong nililigawan niya si Coleen, ngunit hindi pa niya girlfriend ang kanyang co-host sa It's Showtime.
Ginawa ng TV host-singer ang pag-amin sa live interview sa kanya ni Boy Abunda sa Buzz Ng Bayan kahapon, January 12.
“Yes, nililigawan ko,” mabilis na sagot ni Billy nang tanungin kung nililigawan ba niya si Coleen, kung may relasyon ba sila, o girlfriend na ba niya ito.
Ngunit dagdag niya, “She is not my girlfriend, yet… and I would love for her to be.
"I know she really wanted to pull away at one point and really just didn’t want to have anything to do with me because of the speculations, because of everyone else speaking on our behalf.
"Pero ako, bilang lalaki, I’ll pursue her. Paninindigan ko.
"I want to get to know her slowly.
"Kasi, hindi ako nakakapag-date rito.
"Kaya medyo naging sosyal, sa New York, malayu-layo."
Ang tinutukoy ni Billy ay ang bakasyon nila ni Coleen sa New York nitong nakaraang holiday season.
DATE IN NEW YORK. Matatandaang kumalat sa Internet ang larawan nina Billy at Coleen habang nanonood ng NBA game sa pagitan ng Brooklyn Nets at Milwaukee Bucks.
Ginanap ang basketball game sa Barclays Center, sa Brooklyn, New York, noong December 27.
Read: Billy Crawford-Coleen Garcia New York vacation sparks romance rumors anew
Ano nga ba ang kuwento sa likod ng larawan nilang ito sa New York?
Paliwanag ni Billy, “Unang-una sa lahat, it was vacation time, and especially to Showtime family, we all had places to go.
"I was talking to Coleen and I said, 'I was going to New York to see old friends, family.'
"And Coleen said, 'Oh, I was going to New York, with my friends.'"
Ang pamilya ba ni Coleen ay nasa bansa o nasa Amerika?
Sagot ni Billy, “No, Coleen’s family is here.
"And she has friends that she went with there. Bakasyon and everyone.
"Then, on a latter part, before leaving, we learned Ryan Bang was going to New York, so we met with Ryan as well.
“But to be honest, I did ask Coleen to watch the game with me, before leaving.
"I said, 'You know what, I would love to go there in New York and actually spend time with you. And to watch the game, have dinner.'”
NOT THE THIRD PARTY. Pagkatapos makipag-break ni Billy sa singer/actress/TV host na si Nikki Gil ay lumutang ang ilang pangalan na diumano'y third party sa hiwalayan ng dalawa.
Kabilang na rito sina Andi Eigenmann at Coleen.
Ngunit mariing pinabulaanan nina Billy, Andi, at Coleen ang balita sa magkakahiwalay na panayam.
Kahapon ay muling pinabulaanan ni Billy na si Andi o si Coleen ang third party sa breakup nila ni Nikki.
Aniya tungkol kay Andi, “Andi and I, we worked on a film. Nagtrabaho kami for Momzillas [2013], and that was it.”
Si Coleen ba ang third party at dahilan ng paghihiwalay nila ni Nikki?
“Absolutely not,” mariing sagot ni Billy.
Noong marami ang nag-aakusa na si Coleen ang dahilan ng breakup nila ni Nikki, ano ang ginawa ni Billy?
Sagot niya, “Well, I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t talk.
"I think that was my fault.
"But ako, pinanindigan ko yung sa akin at ano ang alam ko.
"And Coleen, definitely is not part of my past relationship at all."
REASON FOR BREAKUP. Sa panayam ni Nikki sa December 2013 issue ng Cosmopolitan magazine ay sinabi nitong may third party sa breakup nila ni Billy.
Tanong ni Boy kay Billy: Bakit nga ba sila naghiwalay ni Nikki?
Sagot niya, “I think, I respect Nikki.
"And I respect everything that she said and, I think, it’s not gentleman-like to continue or to talk about things anymore.”
Isa sa lumalabas na dahilan ay ang pagkakaiba nila ng values at pananaw sa sex.
Gusto ba niyang magsalita tungkol dito?
Sagot ni Billy, “Absolutely not. I think, I’ll keep my word.
"I’ll just really want to be a gentlemen and not to speak about it, no comment.”
CONFUSED. Ipinaalala ni Boy na nang huli niyang makausap si Billy sa The Buzz noong July 2013, pagkatapos nilang maghiwalay ni Nikki, may mga binitawan itong salita tulad ng “I was lost” at “I’m confused.”
Dahil dito, nagkaroon tuloy ng espekulasyon na baka bakla siya.
Read: Billy Crawford on breakup with Nikki Gil: "It all boils down to me."
Natawa naman si Billy at sinabing, “Oo, pati pamilya ko nagtanong sa akin.
"'Totoo ba, bakla ka, Billy?'
"Sabi ko, 'Hindi po, 'teh!'”
Pero hindi naman daw masisisi ni Billy ang mga tao kung ganoon ang naging interpretasyon sa sinabi niya.
Ano na ang state of mind niya ngayon?
“Definitely, not confused at all. Anything couldn't be any clearer right now.
"I am focused. I am happy. I am content.
"I think, I am definitely guided in a better road to be in.
“All the confusions, all the misinterpretation, wala, nakalimutan ko na yun.
"I went back to States. Got in touch with my family, with my roots.
"And I think I prayed to be a better person.
"And, I think, I am here for a reason—to be a better person.”
Ano ang dahilan at pumunta siya muli sa Buzz Ng Bayan?
“I think to clear things up,” mabilis naman niyang sagot.
BACOLOD PHOTO. Unang naging matunog ang espekulasyon tungkol kina Billy at Coleen nang lumabas ang larawan nila na kuha sa Bacolod.
Ipinaliwanag naman ni Billy ang tungkol dito.
“Well, first of all, it was an event.
"There’s a party that most of the Showtime family were there as well.
"Vice Ganda, Teddy [Corpuz], DJ Mod, me... actually DJ was there as well.
"Nandoon kaming lahat and even other friends as well.
“It was a party and, I think, that picture was taken out of context, to be honest with you.
"Coleen was doing that with Vice, with Teddy. She was hugging everyone.
"And we’re having a good time and, alam mo naman, people will just take picture of anything.”
Noong panahon na yun na nakuhanan ang larawan, may relasyon na ba sila?
Ayon kay Billy, “Well, it’s funny, when that picture came out, I think, Coleen was given an opportunity to speak out and she was interviewed.
"Apparently, ang lumabas na lang, siya ang ahas, at hindi siya ahas.
"Yung buong paliwanag niya, natanggal.
“It was edited and the point wasn’t cleared enough.”
Dugtong pa niya, “Sa Bacolod, we were there, we were having a good time.
"And then, to make this clear, Coleen and I are not boyfriend and girlfriend.
"We’re not a couple yet… and that's pretty much it.”
May nais ba siyang sabihin kay Coleen.
Ayon kay Billy, “Coleen, I just really wanna say thank you.
"Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be myself. To be real.
"To try to get to know me despite of all the things that’s going on.
"You mean a lot to me.
"And you give me... you motivate me into going to work every day and I just enjoy who I am now.
“And I want to pursue trying to get to know you as a friend or even more.
“Thank you. That’s all I want to say.”
Posibleng may mga taong maniniwala sa kanya, posibleng may mga hindi. Ano ang masasabi niya?
Sagot ni Billy, “I just wanna say that I really wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t be talking to you, I wouldn’t be facing everyone that’s watching now if I didn’t care.
“Masakit din, e.
“Hindi na yung career ang pinaglalabanan ko.
"Hindi na ako nakikipaglaban kung ano ang tama at mali.
"Ang pinaglalaban ko na lang, yung pagkatao ko.
"Kasi, mahirap maglakad nang nagtatago.
"Mahirap maglakad nang alam mong maraming nagsasalita nang masama tungkol sa ‘yo.
"Kasi kami, tao rin kami. Nasasaktan din kami.
“May puso rin kami. Nasasaktan din kami.
“That’s why I’m here and I do care.
"But what matters the most, I just wanna be happy.
"It’s 2014. I just wanna move on.
"Be blessed and be surrounded with beautiful people."