Actor Anthony Jennings finds himself at the center of controversy after screenshots shared by his ex-girlfriend, Jam Villanueva, raised questions about his relationships.
Actress Maris Racal, who was linked to Anthony, spoke out to clarify her side and address the allegations.
In an interview, Maris confirmed that she had seen Jam’s Instagram Stories, which detailed private exchanges with Anthony. She admitted to checking on Jam through Anthony, but said her intentions were purely out of concern, knowing Jam was going through personal challenges.
“Alam kong she was going through something and Anthony had to take care of her. But at that time, nagtatrabaho pa rin kami and he would still be the same way to me,” Maris said.
Maris revealed that Anthony had assured her multiple times that he was no longer in a relationship with Jam. Maris recounted that she asked him if they had gotten back together, and he said no. She even asked if he still loved her, and he said no.
She also pressed Anthony to release a public statement about his breakup with Jam, especially as online criticism mounted against her.
“I asked him, ‘When are you gonna release a statement na wala na kayo? When? Because in the eye of the public, you are taken but I know you’re not’…He would tell me that he was waiting for the right moment,” Maris said. She added that Anthony promised he was waiting for the “right moment.”
Maris admitted that the lack of clarity took an emotional toll on her, especially as she faced public backlash.
“I didn’t want to be pushy. I didn’t want to aggravate things so I waited and kept quiet because it wasn’t my story to tell anyway. I kept quiet,” she said. “God knows how many times I begged for his statement. I begged him to fix this because I was tired of getting bashed. He said wait. He is waiting for the right moment.”
When Anthony eventually released a statement confirming his breakup with Jam, Maris felt it came too late.
“To me, it was too late because at that time, I was slowly distancing myself from him romantically. The infatuation and then the attraction died. But thank you for the statement,” she said.
On December 6, Anthony issued a public apology to address the fallout.
“Sa lahat ho ng mga nangyari noong nakaraan araw, sa lahat po ng taong nasaktan ko, especially po si Maris tsaka si Jam,” Anthony said. “Humihingi po ako ng tawad sa dalawang babae and sa lahat po ng mga nadamay ko rin po. ‘Yun lamang po, sorry po ulit.”
As the controversy continues to unfold, the public remains divided. Many are calling for clarity and accountability, while others hope for resolution and healing for all parties involved.
