Janine embarks on a new journey

Just like “moving on” as the most over-used/over-abused adjective by “un-coupling” showbiz sweethearts, “just friends” is likewise resorted to by suspected couples who are not (yet) ready or are not sure if there’s “something” between them.

But since Janine Gutierrez is one of the very few sincere, honest and transparent denizens of the make-believe world, you would believe when she said at a recent media lunch that she and Rayver Cruz are, ehem, “just friends,” even as she admitted that Rayver followed her to Bali where she fulfilled her wish to spend her 28th birthday with friends there last Oct. 2.

“Close lang kami,” added Janine. “Enjoy lang. Masaya kami, lumalabas-labas ’pag may time we are both busy with our careers.”

Pressed what the “real score” was, Janine was evasive. “Ask Rayver na lang,” she blushed a bit.

It was Janine’s mom, Lotlot de Leon, who (unwittingly) acted as “bridge” between Janine and Rayver who frequents Lotlot’s restaurant (which specializes in grilled dishes) in Parañaque City where they both live. For more than a year now, Janine has been living alone at a condo unit (“I really saved up for it”) in a quiet neighborhood in Quezon City. Lotlot delivers Janine’s weekly supply of dishes, especially sisig which is her favorite.

 Asked in a previous STAR interview what her advice (reminder) to Janine was where boys were concerned, Lotlot smiled, “Huwag akong gayahin.” If you recall, Lotlot at barely 17 was pregnant when she and Ramon “Monching” Christopher Gutierrez were married at civil rites in Club Filipino and they broke up many years later.

Reminded by Funfare about it, Janine laughed, “Nalampasan ko na. Di ba 28 na ako?” recalling that when Mom Lotlot had her debut, “I was at the party.” Lotlot was heavy with Janine when she got married. After Janine came Jessica, an Ateneo graduate; Diego, fifth year at University of Asia & the Pacific; and Maxine, high school at Poveda, who is embarking on a field trip in Scandinavian countries. Lotlot has found a new love (a foreigner) while Monching has remained fancy-free. “Sabi ni Papa, kaming magkakapatid na lang daw ang love(s) niya,” said Janine who denied that her dad and former girlfriend Tina Paner have reconciled. (Now a single mom, Tina is separated from her Spanish husband.)

With the trophy she won for Dagsin from the Urduja Heritage Film Awards.

The mini presscon was organized by Leo Dominguez who has just added Janine to his growing pool of talents that includes Lovi Poe and Solenn Heussaff. Wouldn’t there be any rivalry (professional jealousy) among them?

“No,” assured Janine. “Lovi and Solenn are my idols. I really admire how they take good care of their body kaya pina-follow ko sila. I am also a super-fan of Sarah (Geronimo). I am a Popster.”(Sarah is one of Rayver’s exes, the other being Cristine Reyes who is now married to Ali Khatibi by whom she has a child. Popster is how Sarah’s fans are called.)

At the recent Kapamilya Star Magic Ball, Rayver brought Janine along (even if she is a certified Kapuso). Janine’s ex, Elmo Magalona, was there with girlfriend Janella Salvador but the exes were at opposite parts of the venue (Shangri-La Makati) so they didn’t meet...and tried hard to avoid eye contact?

Since she’s now on a new journey with Leo, an independent talent manager, is Janine free to, well, “cross borders” and do projects for the Kapamilya Network? Leo is still in the process of “negotiating” (whatever that means or may lead to).

“I have many things to look forward to,” revealed Janine who has just recorded a song (no title yet, with English and Filipino versions) for RedOne which is the producer of Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez.

“I was nervous,” admitted Janine, adding in jest, “alam kaya nila na hindi ako singer?”

And how did her Lola Pilita (Corrales, Monching’s mom) rate her singing?

“Super proud siya. I’m not a singer pero para sa kanya, magaling ako. You know my lola, kahit anong gawin ko sobrang proud siya. When my 2017 Petron calendar came out late last year, we were at a family get-together and she proudly distributed copies of the calendar, never mind if medyo sexy ako d’un.”

Janine came to the presscon in a “medyo sexy” dress, still so demure as she held the trophy she won for Dagsin at the Urduja Heritage Film Awards, her first (she got an Urian Best Supporting Actress nomination for the same film).

“I would love to do the same roles that Angelina Jolie is playing,” said Janine, “something like her Lara Croft character in Tomb Raider. I can’t be playing sweet roles forever, after all, 28 na ako, di ba?”

In the meantime, after shooting for Spirit of the Glass (2), she’s working on Unbroken Hearts, a mini-series produced by Joji Alonso and Planet A. Media, directed by Paul Sta. Ana, also starring Cherie Gil, TJ Trinidad, Kiko Estrada, Christian Vasquez, Irma Adlawan and Assunta de Rossi (as Janine’s mom).

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John, Cherie in Cannes

Funfare just got the following news from John Arcilla:

I am in Cannes attending this festival for TV. It is more of a marketing convention on content, a gathering of big league in the name of television. They said that Catherine Zeta-Jones is coming and more Hollywood biggies.

With me is Cherie Gil. We’re bringing our project Barangay 143, a first-of-its-kind animé set in the Philippines which tackles the issue of the Mafia-type game-buying in basketball. We know how avid Filipinos can be and a lot of people around the globe when it comes to basketball. Kids, yuppies, executives and even their parents are followers of basketball teams. People consider their basketball idols as heroes.

But since it is in a Philippine setting, with the involvement of Koreans as their opponent in one of the games, it somewhat encompasses the culture of Asia. The story revolves around family relationships, friendship, romance and most of all corruption and crime in the name of basketball. I play one of the main characters and my daughter will be romantically linked to a Korean basketball superstar.

This production was produced by Synergy88 and will be distributed by Japanese and Singapore in collaboration with Philippine, Chinese and Indian companies. It’s very exciting indeed. Last night, we were interviewed by Stewart Clark, a correspondent of the Variety. Tomorrow, I will have more interviews with these news networks — Mipcom Daily News; TBI, UK; World Screen, USA; Content Asia, Singapore; and AnimationXpress, India.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)