MANILA - Julia Barretto and her aunt Claudine, who has been estranged from her family, shared an emotional moment during the younger Barretto's debut at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel Ballroom on Tuesday night.
Shortly after the "Mirabella" star made her grand entrance, she met Claudine and her grandparents Miguel and Inday, all of whom had been feuding with Julia's mother, Marjorie, since 2013.
In one of the most photographed moments of the night, Julia and Claudine hugged each other as celebrity guests looked on. Miguel was even seen capturing the moment on camera.
Speaking with ABS-CBN News just before the party started, Miguel expressed joy over his family being almost complete. He said he has been attending mass thrice a week, praying that his family will finally find peace.
Another aunt of Julia, Gretchen Barretto, earlier said she would not be able to attend the party as she will be celebrating her birthday -- she turned 45 last March 6 -- in London with her daughter Dominique.
The latest rift among the siblings stems from Marjorie and Gretchen supporting the claims of Raymart Santiago, Claudine's estranged husband, that she is mentally ill and has a history of drug abuse. Another Barretto sibling, JJ, also attested to Santiago's sworn statement in his legal feud with the actress.
At the height of the legal battle in 2013, Miguel, in an interview, lambasted Marjorie and Gretchen for "bullying" Claudine and even told them to change their surname.
Marjorie and Gretchen are now rumored to be fighting, supposedly over the latter openly supporting actress Liza Soberano, whom Marjorie reportedly considers Julia's rival in showbiz. Julia has denied she is not on good terms with Soberano, saying they are in fact close friends.
Julia has said one of her goals in holding the grand celebration was to gather the feuding sides of her family, and hopefully pave the way for a reconciliation.
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