Barbie Imperial plays coy on love life
Amid persistent rumors linking her to Richard Gutierrez, actress Barbie Imperial couldn’t help but feel nervous at the recent press conference for her upcoming movie, “How to Slay A Nepo Baby.”
She knew very well that show biz reporters would be eager to ask her about the real score between her and Richard, who had confirmed her split with his estranged wife, Sarah Lahbati, earlier this year.
Much to her relief, the event’s host reminded everyone to stay on topic before starting the Q&A session.
“Sorry na po!” Barbie said, when told by a writer that he was discouraged from asking personal questions. “Maraming salamat at kabado talaga ako pumunta dito.”
That didn’t stop the press, however, from trying to be creative and coming up with questions that would inadvertently compel Barbie to touch on the issue.
“Which friend would she like to watch the movie with?” “If there’s a friend I would urge to see the movie…Si ano po, uhm…naman oh,” she said, letting out a nervous giggle. “It would be my Ate Love, my manager!”
There were some who complimented Barbie’s recent “glow” and wondered if there was something “inspiring” her at the moment. Without missing a beat, Barbie quipped that it was because of a beauty clinic she’s affiliated with.
“But really, I work out regularly now. I play tennis. And I always say this, because a lot of people have been asking me why I lost a lot of weight: I stopped eating rice and replaced it with Shirataki rice, which has less sugar. This is not my business, by the way. I just want to help. And then I would have my usual dishes,” she said.
Keeping a positive mindset, she added, definitely helps, too.
“There’s a lot of negativity these days…When you open social media and you see someone doing something good, other people will still find something negative about it. I think the secret is staying positive. As long as you know yourself…that you’re not doing anything wrong, let them talk.”
“My focus is to work and provide for my mother’s needs,” added the 25-year-old celebrity, who was spotted together with Richard in South Korea last May.
She stars in “How to Slay a Nepo Baby,” a thriller flick that follows a group of spoiled, entitled rich kids who go on a trip to Sagada to celebrate their work anniversary. After a night of booze, drugs and reckless fun, they find themselves in a series of grim and chilling events. The movie is produced by Happy Infinite Productions and distributed by Viva Films.
The group ends up in a secluded village led by a mysterious woman who performs strange rituals. Soon, the so-called “nepo babies”—or “nepotism babies”—realize that they’re powerless, their status and wealth rendered meaningless in the environment they’re in.
“I rarely do thrillers, mostly iyakan talaga. I’m not used to it. But with the help of our director, Rod Marmol, and everyone else, it all turned out well,” Barbie said of the film, which also stars Sue Ramirez, Phi Palmos, JC Galano, Charm Aranton, twins Phi and Ralph Gomez, Sue Prado, Chaye Mogg, Naia Ching and Coi Suazo.
‘Happy set’
“We had a happy set. We weren’t just working, we also had bonding moments. Overall, everyone was super OK to work with,” she said.
The shoot was mostly smooth-sailing, but there were also “weird” days, Barbie recalled. “Binisita yata kami ng something! There was so much going on. I got sick and fell down the stairs. Sue got sick, too. JC had an asthma attack. There were times na mabigat,” she said.
Nepo babies in entertainment—or just about any field—are perennial hot topics online. Many people find it unfair that genuinely talented and hardworking artists miss out on opportunities, and get passed over for those whose only credential is a famous family name.
“It’s not their fault if they were born rich. For me, what matters is the kind of person they are. If they’re responsible and use their position in a good way…if they actually do good, then that’s fine with me,” Barbie said, adding that the movie shows the reasons some people despise nepo babies, but also explains that not all of them are the same.
Marmol echoed Barbie’s sentiments, but stressed that “to whom much is given, much will be required.”
“The kind of world you’re born in and grow up in isn’t your fault. But there will come a time when you will have to start thinking if you’re willing to expand that world. Are you willing to open up and go out there? If you can’t go beyond yourself, you will be stuck, feeling that you have no responsibility to the world,” he said.
At the end of the day, it always pays to just be kind, Barbie pointed out. “We all go through something every day. It’s important to be kind. We’re all just trying to get by. Because you never know…by being kind, you can change someone’s perspective,” she said.
