Deniece Cornejo debunks ‘retoke’ claims: 'That’s what you call puberty'

This is the first of a series on Deniece Cornejo’s life a year after she and actor Vhong Navarro got involved in a scandal.

Same time last year, straight from his hospital bed, a beaten-up Vhong Navarro spoke on national TV about a mauling incident involving him and what he identified as a group of well-connected men in society.

Even while fearing for his life, the 38-year-old noontime show host named those responsible for his sorry condition, led by Deniece Cornejo and Cedric Lee.

Soon after, enraged sympathizers searched every bit of information about Deniece and her cohorts—whom Vhong accused of beating him up and forcing him to man up to a rape claim on the night of Jan. 22, 2014 in a condominium unit in Taguig City.

Bashing and name-calling

The netizens’ anger came in many forms. Some trolled Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts linked to the 23-year-old model-student, while others barraged her with ridiculous memes and accused her of many things.

People called her names, among them—in Deniece’s words—slut, gold digger, social climber and liar. But she vehemently denied all of them in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Yahoo Philippines office in Bonifacio Global City, a stone’s throw away from the condo where the mauling incident occurred.

She also denied that her looks are unnatural. This, after Deniece’s old videos suggested she looked different when she was younger.

“Ay, wala, wala po [retoke]. Medyo bata pa po ako noon. It was five years ago, if I am not mistaken. Syempre nag-iimprove naman ang tao. Syempre nagdedevelop naman siya. That’s what you call puberty.”

Deniece was referring to a Youtube snippet showing her teenage self joining a segment in ABS-CBN’s defunct noontime show “Wowowee” in 2009.

Picking up the pieces

Despite being the subject of media frenzy under negative circumstances, the model-entrepreneur isn’t closing doors when showbiz opportunities knock—especially if it could reverse public perception of her.

“If it’s a good offer, I leave it to God. If it’s for me, it’s for me. Para makilala rin ako ng tao kung sino talaga ako and hindi yung nakikita nila sa other [side]."

The woman who was once the center of public scrutiny said she’s starting 2015 full of hope that justice will soon be served.

Who's the real victim?

Deniece maintains she’s innocent of the serious illegal detention and grave coercion charges Vhong’s camp accused her and six others of. She added that her only fault is “trusting Vhong.”

"If I will remember what happened to me, it's more than that," she said when asked if she should apologize for the mauling incident.

"I feel sorry for his (Vhong) family for the chaos that happened, and especially to my family as well. But ganun talaga e. Sometimes you have to correct what is wrong,"

For now, charity work and growing her online business are taking much of Deniece’s attention while she’s out on bail. Her restricted freedom four months after posting bail has renewed Deniece’s optimism that truth will come out eventually.

(Next: Deniece Cornejo on rekindling hobby while in detention facility and losing 10 lbs. after regaining her (temporary) freedom).