"Palaban pa rin kapag may kalaban.”
This was how Inday Barretto described herself in her recent interview with Ogie Diaz.
Perhaps one of the most controversial matriarchs in showbiz, Inday had long been the formidable center of gravity for a family that had dominated Philippine entertainment headlines for decades.
Here are the details of her life through interviews and public statements that captured her family’s complex relationships and dynamics.
Read: Claudine Barretto shares last moments with Mommy Inday
INDAY BARRETTO's FAMILY LIFE
Estrella “Inday” Castelo was born on January 12, 1937.
Much of her childhood was shrouded in mystery, but various interviews with her had alluded to a strict religious upbringing.
Details of her marriage to Miguel Alvir Barretto were never publicly disclosed, though estimates place their wedding in the late 1950s.
Inday and Miguel bore seven children together.
The first four lead private lives.
The eldest is Miguel Antonio, who passed away just last September at 66 years old.
The second child is Michelle Barretto, third is Jay-Jay Barretto, and the fourth is Gia Barretto.
The last three children are known showbiz personalities: Gretchen Barretto, Marjorie Barretto and Claudine Barretto.
Read: Barretto family saga: from word war in 2013 to eventful reunion in 2019
INDAY BARRETTO'S FAMOUS DAUGHTERS
Gretchen began working at age 12, becoming the breadwinner—a claim Inday disputed in 2013 when she said the family was not poor.
Now 55 years old, she has been living a "peaceful, quiet life,” and has no plans of returning to showbiz.
She and business tycoon Tonyboy Cojuangco have one daughter, Dominique.
Marjorie entered showbiz in 1992 with a role in the film Dillinger.
After more than a decade in the industry, she left showbiz and shifted to politics, serving as a Caloocan City councilor.
The 51-year-old personality is also known for being the mother of Dani, Julia, Claudia, Leon, and Erich, and for her widely publicized and rocky relationship with ex-husband Dennis Padilla.
Inday’s youngest is Claudine, who just might be the most prolific actress that she had raised.
Claudine, who started in the industry in 1992, has top-billed several box office hits, including Got 2 Believe in 2002, Milan in 2004, Nasaan Ka Man in 2005, and Sukob in 2006.
She has also bagged several acting awards, including two Best Actress awards from FAMAS.
Her star has since waned, but she is slowly inching her way back to showbiz.
Her most recent project was Totoy Bato, where she reunited with her "first love" Mark Anthony Fernandez.
Now 46, she is a mother of four—Sabina, Quia, Noah, and Santino, her biological son with estranged husband Raymart Santiago.
FIGHTS AND RECONCILIATIONS
Inday’s private life remained largely in the shadows.
Even with three high-profile daughters, she navigated the complexities of managing a famous family from behind the scenes, intentionally avoiding the limelight.
But there are bits and pieces here and there—clues from various interviews that can be pieced together to show what kind of mother Inday was.
Inday loved to cook, and Marjorie has said in several interviews that her love for the kitchen was passed down from her mom.
Family celebrations were planned around menus instead of out-of-town trips.
In 2013, Inday traded barbs with Gretchen, after the latter accused Claudine of trying to block Julia’s budding showbiz career.
The fight quickly escalated when Inday chose to side with Claudine.
She called Gretchen a liar in a letter sent to The Philippine Star in April 2013.
This led to several bitter back-and-forths, until Gretchen sent a strongly-worded letter to PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) in October 2013.
Here, she called Inday narcissistic and an abuser.
She also said: "My mother is the person who is deeply pained by my happiness."
Gretchen and Inday’s feuds were highly publicized, and it took years for them to mend their relationship.
The two finally reconciled in October 2019, after the death of Miguel, Inday’s husband and Gretchen’s father.
Gretchen described the reconciliation as a precious moment.
“It was about forgiveness, love & a promise to protect our new found mother/daughter relationship. It was a great opportunity to mend all the nasty words thrown to each other," said Gretchen on Instagram.
MATERNAL INSTINCT
Inday's October 2025 YouTube interview with Ogie Diaz served as her final public statement.
Here, she talked about her rocky relationships and her commitment to protecting her children.
“It’s a good thing you asked me kasi I'm 89,” she told Ogie.
“I can also go anytime. Ayoko nang dalhin sa kabila dun. Kasi doon, donya-donya na ako dun.”
Inday also described her relationship with three daughters.
First, she talked at length about her fierce love for Claudine, and her efforts to defend her.
She claimed that the Optimum Star became broken after her split with Raymart.
Then she admitted that she loved Marjorie although she doesn’t really get along with her.
She thought that it’s because they are cut from the same cloth.
“Strong din siya,” Inday said.
“But parang I feel rejection from her. I just feel like she loves me, but parang hindi ako enough sa kanya. Parang may hinahanap siya sa akin na hindi ko alam kung ano.”
She praised Gretchen’s spirit.
“She’s really quiet, mahinhin yun, e. Hindi siya takutin, pero I admire her. Kasi kung ayaw mo sa tao, ayaw na.
"If you’re toxic and you won’t add anything to my days, wag na.”
Talking about her children’s quarrels, Inday said she does not know the reason behind these misunderstandings.
Probably, the three sisters sometimes feel envy toward one another, she said.
To support this, Inday shared several incidents from their past that she feels point to these tensions.
For example, Marjorie and Gretchen allegedly refused to eat food at the death anniversary of their dad, because the food came from Illo’s Party Trays, which Claudine owns.
Then there was an incident when Marjorie didn’t want to hitch a ride with Inday because the van was bought by Gretchen.
In the end, she wanted to let her daughters reconcile on their own terms.
“I leave it to God,” she said.
She did not hope that her children will be at peace with each other before she passed away.
Instead, she prayed for their good health, safety, and protection.
“I never asked them na make them friends. No. Tinapat ko na yung Diyos, e. I don’t want them together. They’re not good for each other,” Inday stated with finality.
If there's one project that she would have loved to pursue, it would be publishing a "tell-all" book.
In one of her phone conversations with PEP Executive Editor Karen Caliwara, she said, "I have so many things to say, and I think it is going to be like a legacy book. It will be explosive, also inspirational."
In 2023, she grew pensive as she recalled their family gatherings in Subic.
Mommy Inday told Karen, "I liked that. I enjoyed those moments. Even if we were never complete."
She spoke the first sentence with longing, while she sounded quite matter-of-fact with the last.