Cris Villonco moves on after almost becoming a runaway bride
Stage actress Cris Villonco realized breaking up with her former fiancé is no longer worth the tears.
"It was a whirlwind courtship and then things unraveled very fast… and we realized we’re not meant for each other,” she told media on Tuesday (August 26) in GMA’s pocket interview for its upcoming afternoon series “Ang Lihim ni Annasandra.”
The seven-month relationship lasted up to October 2013. Before the aborted marriage, Cris came from a long relationship with stage actor Niccolo Manahan (she said she followed the "3-month rule,” which says one should let three months pass after a breakup before having a new relationship).
Not bitter
"I came out of a five-year relationship and the next that came was tumultuous. It was wonderful. I had a diamond ring on my finger. But that was like, ‘What happened?’"
And although she didn’t elaborate what might’ve caused the fallout, one could sense it was a bad one.
"Let’s just say marami akong nalaman na hindi maganda. Hindi naman po ako bitter ha. Doon na lang siya,” she told Yahoo Philippines.
She added half-jokingly, "I would rather stay far away from him. Kasi baka kung ano pa ang gawin ko sa kanya.”
Story of her life
The 30-year-old actress conceded she was partly at fault because she barely knew her former fiance.
"It’s always amazing when someone offers you the world. Your mom loves him and then things went sour real fast. And there you go.”
Her story sounded so familiar, you suspect her aunt, Bibeth Orteza, took cues from it when she developed Cris’ character in Carlos Siguion-Reyna’s “Hari ng Tondo.”
Cris won Best Supporting Actress (Directors Showcase) at the 10th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival for playing a sheltered kid who escaped from her womanizer fiancé, only to find “heaven” when she lived in the outskirts of Tondo with her grandfather (Robert Arevalo) and cousin (Rafa Siguion-Reyna).
"Oo realistic ‘yun!,” she said, pertaining to the film. "Gusto ko talagang itapon ‘yung engagement ring.”
Seeking refuge in theater
She has “Ghost the Musical” and co-actor Christian Bautista to thank for helping her recover from the bad breakup.
"For me kasi yung cathartic kasi talaga was "Ghost." When I did "Ghost," naiyak ko na lahat. Pinagdaanan ko na lahat.”
Cris said it was Christian who became her sounding board.
"Last year we auditioned (for “Ghost”) two weeks after that so kawawa si Christian (Bautista). Siya 'yung nakakaalam ng lahat. Siya 'yung nakakatulong sa’kin.”
Cris says she’s seeing someone, but hinted that he’s not from showbiz or politics.
