Lotis on Dolphy: The sunshine of my life
That was a very touching (as in straight from the heart) tribute Lotis Key gave Dolphy in a special report aired last Thursday, June 28, on ABS-CBN News. If ever Dolphy sang the Julio Iglesias song To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before, Lotis would surely be on top of the list, sharing the honors with, among others, Pilar Pilapil and Zsa Zsa Padilla whom Dolphy described as “the last woman in my life.”
It was ABS-CBN North America Bureau Chief Nadia Trinidad who interviewed Lotis, now living
with her husband (a former basketball player) in Minnesota where she belongs to a professional theater group for which she writes and directs original Bible-saturated plays.
According to the editor’s note, Lotis agreed to be interviewed but begged off from showing her face on camera. Only her voice was heard in a moving soliloquy. Lotis has appeared in a few Hollywood movies and is reportedly writing her first novel.
Funfare Update is reprinting that ABS-CBN exclusive (from the ABS-CBN website) for the benefit of those who missed it. Here it is:
Somewhere in time we’ll always be connected By Lotis Key
When I first met Dolphy, I asked him one question. Are you married? He swore he wasn’t. And, of course, that was the truth.
I’d heard he had two or three children, but so many Filipino men did, it wasn’t unusual.
I was drawn to him because he was interesting — a true original. I’d never seen even one of his movies when we first met. Coming from completely different backgrounds, initially, I had no idea how big a star he actually was.
Our big attraction was that we could both die laughing from our own jokes. Maybe that’s why he wanted us to marry. His life was often so sad and when we were together, like children, we had a lot of silly fun.
He bought us gold wedding rings in Las Vegas. I told him that first he must talk to his three children and their mother, so they wouldn’t find out from the newspapers. I didn’t want to hurt them.
Well, he never did it, but every few months would bring out those rings and lay them on my dressing table, my pillow, my plate, and just look at me and raise his eyebrows. I’d laugh and say, “What are we going to do? Run away and live on a desert island? These kids are a part of your life. You have to talk to them!”
I had no idea how complex that one request was. It’s hard to believe but I didn’t know that there was more than one woman, and more than one set of kids. My Tagalog was poor. I wasn’t really part of the movie world. I only went to the set and then straight home. I’m not a gossiper and anyway, my friends weren’t movie people, so they didn’t know anything about his past. I was an introvert who read all the time, and rarely went out of the house, except to work. Anyway, our years together were marked by hysterical kwentuhan that made us laugh so hard we’d both get asthma attacks.
Even after we’d separated, we’d still go out regularly for dinner, as an excuse to talk for hours. His life was complicated. His business, his families, his girlfriends. I think we were best friends more than anything else.
Apart from what I earned in his movies, and birthday or holiday presents, I never took money from him. He wanted
to build me a house but I refused. I never accepted “sustento” or allowance. It was funny because people said it was a sign of his low regard for me that I didn’t have a lot of material things.
To save my “reputation” I was even advised to lie and say he’d given me “this” or “that”! But money never interested me.
I found people interesting and him particularly. His mother and sisters once told me they hoped we’d marry because I was the only person in his life who wouldn’t notice if he suddenly got poor.
In San Francisco last year, someone pointed out a woman to me and whispered; that’s one of the mothers. I went over and introduced myself. I asked her forgiveness for the pain I’d unwittingly caused so many years ago. She turned out to be a lovely, gracious and intelligent woman.
Well he is who he is, isn’t he? I guess he never held a gun to anyone’s head to make them love him.
Oh Dolphs, you were the sunshine of my life in those days. Somewhere in time we’ll always be connected, two giggling kids in blue jeans. In my old age now, I think of you and smile.
Why Ruffa quit Paparazzi
Cristy Fermin, one of Ruffa Gutierrez’s co-hosts on the TV5 show Paparazzi, insisted that Ruffa knew all about that controversial
Bulong ng Palad segment that made Ruffa quit the show in a huff on the eve of her birthday (June 24) which the show was celebrating with a tribute to her.
Here’s Ruffa’s version (official statement) of the incident:
My life is not without scandal or controversy. I cannot erase my past, but I can certainly rewrite my future. This is what I have strived to do since I became a mother to Lorin and Venice. I have made an effort to right the wrongs in my life because I knew that as I got older, it was far more important for me to imbibe the right values for my children and it begins by being a good example to them of what a woman should be. I am not perfect. I have made many mistakes and I am sure that I will make more. But when faced with something that is contrary to the principles I have learned to embrace, I will stand up for myself and for the people I love.
Last June 23, 2012, Paparazzi, a showbizoriented talk show on TV5, which I was a host of, planned a birthday celebration for me. I was happy, excited and was truly looking forward to what the presentation would be. I was briefed before the show with a simple overview of the program flow but was not provided with details. No specific questions, no line up of guests, etc. As most TV shows go, “surprises” are done for birthday celebrations. As such, not everything is cascaded to the birthday celebrant to be able to get an honest reaction on air. First they showed a video message of “Habitat for Humanity” spokesperson & an AVON top executive, then birthday cards from Lorin & Venice were given to me which I read on air.
The second part of the celebration was a “BULUNGAN” portion. Right before going on air, one of the show’s creative team members, Noel Ferrer told me to just be “game” in answering the questions. My other co-hosts seconded the motion. I was feeling a little panic, still not knowing what the questions would be, but I went on with it as we were about to go on air. The portion referred to male actors I have been linked to in my late teens- Zoren Legaspi, Robin Padilla and Aga Muhlach who are all now happily married
with their own children. The segment started with the first question whispered in my ear. I was absolutely appalled at the sexual content of the question most especially since their wives are my friends. I showed my discomfort immediately but tried to be a good sport and played along. But as the segment wore on, the rest of the questions whispered in my ear got worse pertaining to male private parts and sexual behaviour - all of which are definitely not appropriate content for airing on national television, most especially at a wholesome hour (lunchtime) with my children, my parents, my family & friends and other people’s children, family & friends watching. I refused to dignify the lewd and offensive question with an answer. I was mortified, upset & it was beginning to show behind my smile. No one has a right to ask those questions to anyone on air or even off air. The questions may have been whispered, but they were resonating loudly as offensive, vulgar and degrading to a person. As a TV personality and as a professional I composed myself and smiled through my disgust, stomaching those inane questions to finish the show.
As soon as the show finished, I felt that my dignity and integrity as a person along with the rest of my womanhood were violated. I knew right then and there that I would never come back to Paparazzi. I may not be faultless but I know where to draw the line between degrading and entertaining.
In as much as I am grateful for all of the opportunities given to me by the Network and while I look forward to fulfilling more projects for the network in the future, I have given the format of the show “Paparazzi” much thought. Regrettably, after evaluating the direction that the show has been geared towards as of late, I strongly feel that the values and the principles that the show stands for are no longer aligned to what I wish for myself and for my children and even the causes I stand fo . Hence as of June 27, 2012 I have formally submitted my resignation letter to Mr. Perci Intalan, Entertainment and Creative Head of TV5.