Nagsalita na sa unang pagkakataon ang aktres na si Sheryl Cruz tungkol sa divorce nila ng kanyang asawa na si Norman Bustos sa presscon ng Komiks Presents Varga sa ABS-CBN kagabi, July 28. Mismong si Norman ang naglabas sa isang broadsheet na naghiwalay na sila ni Sheryl, na ikinabigla ng marami, maging ng aktres mismo.
"Siyempre, painful yung ganun. But like you know, a lot of people were hurt, not only me," panimula ni Sheryl sa PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal).
Na-shock din ba siya sa lumabas na balita?
"I already knew na meron nang ganung klaseng...parang decision. But I never knew that it was gonna come out in the papers. But you know, it's better nga na huwag na nating pag-usapan," pigil sa pag-iyak na sabi ni Sheryl.
Agad ba niyang tinawagan o kinausap si Norman pagkatapos niyang mabasa ang write-up? Hindi ba niya sinisi si Norman sa paglabas sa publiko ng balitang hiwalay na sila?
"Bakit ko siya sisisihin?" sabi ng dating child actress. "Unang-una sa lahat, everybody is entitled to their own decision, di ba? If you're not happy anymore and miserable, it's better to get out of the relationship. I don't want him to be miserable all his life. Di ba, you don't want somebody who you love so much to be in misery all the time?"
A CHILD IN THE MIDDLE. Pero dahil sa nangyari, maaaring ang naapektuhan dito ay ang kanilang seven-year-old daughter na si Ashley, na sobrang pinuprotektahan daw ni Sheryl.
"Basta ang sa akin, what I can tell you and everybody naman siguro who's been in love, who's been married, who has a kid, of course, gusto mo intact yung memories na ‘yon para sa child mo at hanggang paglaki to keep them whole. Kasi it doesn't mean na just because of a failed marriage, my daughter is not gonna be an adult when she grows up, or a person when she grows up.
"I mean, I beg to disagree. I'm better than that. I came from a good family. I have education, a good education, and I'm proud of my job. I know it's blood, sweat, and tears na pinanggalingan ng kung anuman yung ibinibigay ko sa anak ko. I'm proud of it na wala akong hinihingian," pahayag ni Sheryl.
Naka-move on na ba siya?
"I'm not gonna tell you na yung pagmo-move on ko na totally naka-move on na ako, because I always have my daughter to remind me of my husband. Whenever lumalabas, let's say mga allergies ng anak ko or whatever, nahihiya siya. She has inherited genetically doon sa asawa ko. Siyempre, you cannot help but remember.
"My daughter, that's her father, you know. And I don't want to do anything that will disrespect that image of her father to her. Kasi kapag naaalala ko naman nung time na nagbuntis ako, nung time na nanganak ako, time na ikinasal kami, ano pang mga pangit na memories doon? Sabihin mo nga?
"I mean lahat yun, of course, they would always visit my mind. Not because of the failures in the marriage, but because of the good memories that you know you will never have anymore," saad ni Sheryl.
THE REAL SCORE. May tsismis na hiwalay na raw sila ni Norman the time na dumating si Sheryl at si Ashley sa Pilipinas. Totoo ba ito?
"Actually, it's hard right now really to go in details. Basta yung sa akin, like any parent or family who wants a good future for their family, you would like to help each other. Yun lang naman ang gusto ko, e. And not only that, I also wanted to see my family who I haven't seen for a long time, di ba?
"I mean, it feels so good because I'm home. I guess this is where I really belong because this is where I grew up. This is where I was born and hindi ko na maitatatwa na isa akong artista."
May lumalabas na isa raw sa mga dahilan ng hiwalayan nila ni Norman ay ang pagtanggi ni Sheryl na bumalik ng San Francsico kasama ang anak at makapiling ang mister, na doon nagtatrabaho bilang pulis. Mas gusto raw ni Sheryl na ipagpatuloy ang kanyang showbiz career dito sa Pilipinas.
"Nakilala ako ng asawa ko, artista na ako," sabi ni Sheryl. "'Eto na yung pangalan ko. Alam na niya ‘eto ang trabaho ko. So for me to conform can probably tell you in volumes how much I love him and still love him, because kung hindi ko ginawa yung mga things na ginawa ko in the past, dahil sa pag-ibig," sabay tawa niya.
"I'm happy because kung ano lang meron kami or kung ano lang yung kaya namin, di ba? But then, of course, I cannot deny the fact na this is me, e. I mean, artista talaga ako. Hahanapin mo. How long have I been staying there [U.S.] na diretso, di ba? Turning down offers left and right, and then I just took a chance. But then, this is me talaga. I have to be proud of my parents' job being actors and actresses and my auntie and my uncle because marangal na trabaho."
Si Sheryl ay panganay na anak ng dating aktres na si Rosemarie Sonora at ng yumaong aktor na si Ricky Belmonte. Pamangkin siya ni Susan Roces na misis naman ng yumaong Hari ng Pelikulang Pilipino na si Fernando Poe Jr.
So, ang pag-aartista niya talaga ang pumipigil sa kanya na bumalik ng Amerika and to be with her husband Norman?
"No, no," tanggi niya. "It's not the reason ng aming paghihiwalay. There are other differences I guess. Pero ang sabi ko sa inyo, I really cannot tell you. Ang daya ninyo talaga!"
Paano niya ipinaliwanag kay Ashley na hiwalay na sila ni Norman?
"Well, my husband is already in the States when this decision happened, and siyempre as a mom, you have to decide na what is best for your daughter right now. Kasi siya yung kasama ko dito sa Pilipinas. I never want my daughter... I don't want to keep any secrets for my daughter. As long as alam ko naman it is in her capacity to understand, di ba? Because my daughter is an intelligent person at yung mga kaedad niya ngayon, hindi mo na puwedeng pagtaguan ng mga sikreto, especially ‘pag artista ka at ang inyong buhay ay nadidyaryo at naite-televise at hindi lang yun, pati sa buong mundo, sa Internet, di ba, kakalat?
"So, hihintayin ko pa bang ibang tao ang magsabi sa anak ko? Mas mabuti na sabihin ko na sa kanya bilang ina niya," saad ni Sheryl.
Sinabi raw niya sa anak na hiwalay na sila nang mag-graduate si Ashley sa school. That time, nauna na raw lumabas sa mga diyaryo ang tungkol sa divorce nila ni Norman.
SHERYL KEEPS MUM ABOUT THE DIVORCE. Nang lumabas sa pahayagan ang balitang nag-divorce na sila ni Norman, hindi nagpaunlak ng interview si Sheryl sa kahit saang talk show sa telebisyon o kahit sa diyaryo.
"I think I'm really not... Even now I can tell you I don't think I can go into details because it's ongoing. The process is still ongoing and it still hurts. Every day it still hurts. There are times na a song would remind you, di ba? Especially ‘pag artista ka because you're always in touch about your surroundings. Napaka-expressive ng isang artist. Napaka-emosyonal lalo na kapag gumagawa ka ng album.
"I'm actually glad because aside form Varga, that has been brought about by ABS-CBN, I have my Wow Music family and sometimes, you were able to express whatever your feeling in your writing. So things you never thought you could do, I guess hindi mo talaga maitatanggi na nasa dugo mo. And I have to thank my family sa Cruz side. Kasi that's my musical side, e. Kahit na i-try to like say na wala na, it still goes back, e. And sometimes it just amazes you na you just can write a song or write my music and then you're able to express what you're feeling."
May ginawa siyang kanta para kay Norman?
"Marami na. Abangan ninyo na lang."
Kailan sila huling nagkausap ni Norman?
"The other day because it's my aunt's birthday today [July 28]. Before he talked to his daughter, he asked me if there was a celebration. So sabi ko, wala. She just wants to celebrate the way she wants to celebrate it. ‘Please give her my greetings,' sabi niya."
Wala silang pinag-usapan tungkol sa development ng divorce nila?
"Kayo talaga," ngiti ni Sheryle. "I mean, I would probably would share everything with you whenever things finalized. I'm not naman, hindi naman ako ganun kadamot. Yung akin lang kasi, whatever privacy probably I can keep right now for myself, my family, for my daughter, to be able to spare everybody else the heartache... Kasi although I know na this is between the two of us, of course, it's affecting all those people who cares for you. Lahat ng mga naging parte ng buhay ninyo."
EMPTY HOUSE. Totoo ba na mas gusto ni Norman na bumalik na lang sila ng Amerika?
"It's hard to explain kasi nga, di ba, I just bought a house here? Para sa amin nina Norman. Yeah, di ba, dahil gusto mo yun, e? Di ba, gusto mong makatulong in every way you can? Kung anuman yung mga investments ninyo, papalaguin ninyo."
May plano ba sila na rito na sa Pilipinas mag-settle down?
"It's not na I was planning to settle down here. It's just that I wanted to make a home for us here also because I can never deny the fact na I am Filipino, di ba? I mean, dito ako lumaki. I've been known as a Filipina actress, a Filipina singer, so it's all over... The Internet has my history if they want to check it.
"I can never deny the fact even before I've met my husband, this is the life that I have and I have adjusted. I have conformed in ways that I can. Kaya nga lang, siyempre it's the expectations and I have fallen short of all those expectations na I guess were asked or expected of me as a person. I'm just human, yun lang.
"But then, I guess it's unfair na kung ano ang nagpapasaya sa ‘yo ay hindi mo gagawin or hindi mo susuportahan or whatever. Kasi yun naman ang alam ko sa aming dalawa noon, e, nagsusuportahan kami for whatever it is na gustong gawin. Kahit ano pa, kahit gaano pa kadelikado, gaano pa kahirap. Yun yun, e, di ba?"
Ano ang plano niya ngayon sa bahay na binili niya?
"Nandiyan siya. Siyempre pinaghirapan ko siya. It's for my daughter, di ba? That's gonna be for my daughter."
Doon ba sila nakatira ngayon?
"Actually, malaki yung house. Sa may Miranilla. I mean, it's sad kasi he [Norman] was the last person I had, of course, the only person I'm ever gonna be spending with my time there. So, alam mo, kapag nandun ka sa bahay, it's empty. It has the pictures and all that, kayo-kayo lang. Kasi when I lived in the States, it was only the three of us. Lahat-lahat napag-aralan ko, natutunan kong gawin, and I'm proud of myself because you don't have to depend on anybody, which is good, di ba?
"But then, when you're there na at home dito sa Pilipinas at maaalala mo kung sino yung mga nakasama mo doon na last, di ba? I mean, it's very difficult for me na mag-stay ako doon because I just got depressed, really. So, I'm glad na I'm spending time with my brother [Renzo Cruz], yung eldest brother ko, my family. Bumibista ako sa aunt ko but I don't stay in Miranilla right now because it's too big of a place and it just so has much memories."
May plano ba siyang ibenta ang bahay?
"I don't have any plans to sell it kasi right now. Kumbaga, yung akin, lahat ng pagod na ginawa ko for the past how many years, past three years, alam ko ginawa ko yun nang malinis. Alam ko na ginawa ko yun with the intention na this is for me and not only me but for my family," sabi ni Sheryl.
Kailan niya binili ang bahay?
"Actually, I just bought it December, kasi Christmas nga ‘yon. That was his [Norman] birthday also. So I though it was gonna be a place where he would settle. Kasi, di ba, I stayed in the States for eight years straight?
"I never expected something na hindi siya kumportable with. Kasi in the first place, hindi naman ganun ang nangyari from the start, e. So siyempre, kung anuman yung reason ng shock ko or ng disbelief ko sa turnout ng events ngayon na nangyari sa aming dalawa, parang ano lang din ako, yun nga, hindi rin ako makapaniwala.
"Like I said, I cannot be in denial and I cannot...and my life cannot just stop, di ba? Because I have an important person to live for and that's my daughter Ash."
Sa huli ay nagbigay ng mensahe si Sheryl para kay Norman.
"I just wish him well and I just want him to be happy. I mean, I cannot wish somebody ill if he hasn't been good to me. Kasi throughout what has happened, I would always want to keep the good memories. The good memories will always be with me because he's always gonna be part of my life and he's always gonna be the father of my daughter," pagtatapos ni Sheryl.