Advertisement

Toni moves on from issues regarding Mariel

With all the speculations regarding Mariel Rodriguez’s reasons for leaving ABS-CBN for TV5, Toni Gonzaga wants to leave well enough alone.
 
She certainly doesn’t want to answer for Mariel, nor assume that she was the reason Mariel left their TV show “Happy Yipee Yehey” (HYY).
 
Talks on the rumored rift between both hosts re-ignited when Robin Padilla commented that his wife Mariel will no longer cry and lock herself in the room upon coming home from work because she is now happy with her new network.
 
Toni, who seems to have been dragged in the issue because of a previous falling-out with Mariel, remained non-committal.
 
“Ayoko naman mag-take responsibility for whatever it is that was said. Ayoko naman i-assume na dahil sa programa ng ‘Happy Yipee Yehey!’ yun,” Toni said at the press conference of “Pinoy Big Brother Unlimited” at Elements Centris last October 18.
 
“Siguro, who can answer that is the one who gave that statement. Kasi kami ay nagta-trabaho lang din. Hindi naman namin kayang i-interpret kung ano man yung ibig sabihin ng mga sinasabi niya,” Toni told the press.
 
Toni said she heard about Robin’s statement from the staff of HYY. But, she chooses not to give it weight.
 
“Right now, kakatapos lang ng lahat ng masasayang pangyayari sa buhay ko. Kaya ayokong mag-isip ng negative, eh,” she explained. “If there are negative things around, ayoko munang i-entertain. So, maging masaya na lang tayong lahat.”
 
‘I don’t burn bridges’

At Toni’s recent anniversary concert in Smart Araneta Coliseum, Mariel was spotted in the audience.  However, Toni said that they did not see each that night.
 
“Wala, kasi nag-text lang kami noon tungkol sa concert. At saka hindi naman na ako nagtatanong. May mga bagay na siyempre ayaw mo malaman. I-respeto mo na lang,” she said.
 
But, do they still communicate with each other?
 
“Hindi mawawala yung communication. Hindi naman tayo nagbi-burn ng bridges. Pero hindi kami nakapag-usap noong bumisita siya sa bahay ni Kuya,” Toni said, referring to the Big Brother set. “Hindi ako gano’n, eh. Ever since, hindi ako ma-clarify kasi feeling ko, press people ang dating ko kapag ganoon.”
 
The rumored rift between Toni and Mariel first sparked when Mariel reportedly said that Toni doesn’t like her. However, in subsequent interviews, Mariel said that she and Toni are okay and remain friends.

“Whatever it is that she said, doon na lang tayo mag-pick up,” Toni told the press. “Like I said, I cannot keep on talking about this whole issue when I don’t even know the gravity of the whole situation. Kasi parang part lang din naman tayo, nababanggit lang tayo, so ang hirap kung makisawsaw pa ako.”

‘All misunderstandings leave scars’

Still, she admitted that her friendship with Mariel has been tainted.
 
“Lahat naman ng misunderstanding, lahat ng hindi pagkakaunawaan ay nagkakaroon ng lamat. Nagkakaroon ng mga sugat. But, it’s just a matter of how you move on,” she said.
 
With Mariel gone as co-host of PBB, Toni and Bianca Gonzales will be joined by Robi Domingo and Martin Concio.
 
“Definitely malaki ang pagbabago this season kasi mayroon tayong mga kasama na hindi na natin makakasama. Kahit mga staff natin may mga iba din nag-ibang bahay. Definitely,  malaking adjustment. Pero gaya ng sabi ni Direk Lauren Dyogi, we don’t want to dwell on what’s missing right now. We just want to look forward and move on and really present to you what PBB has to offer in this newest season,” Toni told the press.
 
The primer of ABS-CBN’s “Pinoy Big Brother Unlimited” entitled  “The Audition Stories” kicks-off on October 24. “PBB Unlimited Update” is shown every weeknight, while the actual kick-off show “PBB Unlimited: The Big Fiesta” is on October 29.