A walk to remember

The super wealthy Lorenzo family, to which singer Claudia Barretto married into on 8 April, had no influence on turning the father of the bride, inactive actor Dennis Padilla, into a mere “visitor of the bride” during the Claudia-Basti Lorenzo wedding held at  St. James The Great Parish, Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa City. 

Sometime-actor and sometime-politician Marjorie Barretto, the mother of the bride, has revealed to vlogger-former comedian Ogie Diaz in an interview in his YouTube vlog on 11 April that it was her daughter Claudia herself who decided some three or four weeks before the nuptials not to give her estranged father, Padilla, the honor of walking her down the aisle and handing her over to her groom, businessman Basti Lorenzo.

The mother also boldly revealed that Claudia’s original decision was not to invite her estranged father at all but she (Marjorie) convinced Claudia that her father had to be at the wedding just the same — and had to be seated in the front pew, alongside the unannounced wedding sponsors (though it was later revealed that the showbiz-politician couple Richard Gomez and Lucy Torres were among the sponsors). Marjorie stressed that the front row was the VIP area in that wedding event.

Marjorie confided to Diaz that one of the reasons Claudia met with her father on 18 March, along with her older sister Julia and younger brother Leon, was to sweetly and serenely reveal to Padilla two conditions he had to keep to be invited to her wedding: he will not walk her down the aisle and he will not reveal any details about the singular occasion. 

Marjorie disclosed that her ex-husband Padilla brought his mother to that reunion with his children. Padilla has never revealed that he brought along his mother to that meeting so she can also re-bond with their grandmother. What Padilla revealed to Diaz soon after the wedding was he (Padilla) also met his would-be son-in-law, Basti, later in that reunion with his (Padilla’s) children. (And it was Padilla’s first time ever to meet Basti).

Claudia, according to Marjorie, informed Padilla that she will walk alone to the altar to meet her groom. Marjorie assured Diaz that she only met Claudia halfway to the altar, raised the daughter’s veil from covering her face since it is a tradition in weddings that the bride joins the groom with her face not veiled at all. 

Marjorie insisted to Diaz that she separated from Claudia before the latter came face-to-face with her would-be husband, so it would not be said that she stole the role of Claudia’s father of giving her away to Basti. 

However, Marjorie pointed out to Diaz that she herself is not convinced that Padilla deserved the honor of giving away his daughter to her would-be husband.

Marjorie intoned to Diaz: “Because, ano ba ibig sabihin ng (what does it mean) walking the bride down the aisle?

“It’s a father who raised you, provided for you, nurtured you, protected you, your safe space. You’re handing over your daughter now, after raising her, to the man who is now gonna be in charge of her.

“So, why would he hand over Claudia? She doesn’t even know anything about him. He doesn’t even know anything about her.”

Marjorie bluntly proceeded to call out Padilla about his absence not just emotionally and physically, but financially in the lives of their children.

The  mother firmly denied to Diaz brainwashing her kids, asserting that Padilla never fought for joint custody or made consistent parenting efforts.

Marjorie sharply claimed that she shouldered the financial responsibilities 100 percent since their separation.

The mother strongly claimed further that her children feel unsafe around their father and are triggered even by his voice, due to past traumatic experiences with him. 

The mother of the bride never uttered a word about any of the Lorenzos’ influence in the Barretto’s decision to exclude Padilla from the wedding entourage. Likewise Basti and his mega-wealthy parents Martin Ignacio Lorenzo and Maria Leah de Leon seem to have never objected to Padilla’s being turned into a mere “visitor of the bride” who may sit in the front row, along with the bridal sponsors.