MANILA PHILIPPINES —  Actress Julia Barretto reached out to her estranged father, Dennis Padilla, with heartfelt birthday greetings as he celebrated his 62nd birthday.

The small yet meaningful gesture has stirred emotions and sparked curiosity regarding the current state of their relationship.

Dennis Padilla confirmed the unexpected communication during an interview with reporters on the sidelines of his latest film, “When Magic Hurts.” 

Expressing his surprise and joy, Padilla shared that he received a text message from Julia Barretto on the night of his birthday. 

Reflecting on the unexpected gesture, he said, “Nag-text lang siya, may short message siya d’un tas sumagot ako t’as meron din akong short message. Tapos ang sinagot niya sa’kin ay heart [emoji], so ang sinagot ko ay heart din.” 

Despite the brevity of their exchange, Padilla admitted that he was moved to tears by the unexpected message. 

He acknowledged the emotional impact, stating, “Actually, hindi ko alam, bigla na lang tumulo ang luha ko.”

When asked about the possibility of Julia’s siblings, Claudia and Leon, being aware of the communication, Padilla speculated, “I’m sure naman nalaman nila (Claudia and Leon) na Ate texted Papa. Si Leon ang huli kong nakausap [nang face-to-face]. Talagang namimiss ko sila.” 

Padilla expressed uncertainty about disclosing the details of their exchange but emphasized that Julia’s message was the “best birthday gift” he received. 

He deliberated on sharing the news with the press, stating, “Tinatanong ko sa sarili ko kung sabihin ko ba sa mga press na nagtext siya. Sabi ko, hindi ko alam kung tama pero ‘yun ang nararamdaman ko na okay lang na malaman ng mga tao.” 

While Julia Barretto has yet to comment on this unexpected interaction, Padilla expressed his desire to learn how to communicate with his children more privately, hoping for responses when he reaches out on special occasions.

The actress had previously shared in a September 2022 interview that she was not yet ready to forgive her father, and her recent message suggests a potential shift in their dynamic, sparking speculation about the possibility of reconciliation.

Sources: (1),(2),(3)

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