On September 25, Julia Barretto, along with her mom Marjorie Barretto, filed a formal complaint against Jay Sonza at the National Bureau Of Investigation. Julia's decision to take legal action was because the former broadcaster claimed via a Facebook post on September 21 that she was pregnant with Gerald Anderson's child.
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"I am pursuing this case because the statements made by Mr. Sonza are untrue and irresponsible," Julia said in an interview with ABS-CBN. "The widespread reposting of the news based on his post caused distress to me and my family. I don't want to take this matter lightly. Mr. Sonza, and all those who publish these reckless and baseless posts, must be held accountable for their actions so that they think twice before claiming things as fact."
The 23-year-old actress spoke more about the issue on Wednesday, September 30, during a live press con for her transfer from Star Magic to VIVA Artists Agency. Julia revealed that she felt "it was about time to make an action to try to stop [fake news]." "I think I've just had enough. I'm putting my foot down and showing people that enough is enough. I can't tolerate fake news anymore, especially revolving [around] me or my family or anyone close to me."
She described the feeling of having to file the case as a proud moment for herself: "For the first time, I stood up for myself. For the first time, I defended myself. And for the first time, I protected myself. It's the first time I actually put an action to do that for myself."
When asked about being seen by the public as an empowered woman in light of her recent actions, Julia said that she's not just standing up for herself but for her entire family as well: "The moment I am able to protect myself, I am able to protect the people I love most in my life…So that's my driving force. I don't want to allow fake news, false information, unnecessary controversies—I don't wanna let it stress my family anymore, to stress me anymore. So parang we all have to stand our ground now."
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Julia closed off the topic by giving a piece of advice to those who don't feel brave enough to do what's she's done: "Get your power back. Sometimes these people, they think we don't have the power to stand up and speak up or do something about it. And they feel like they've gotten that power from you because you're not doing anything about it. But the moment you do something for yourself, you're getting your power back. So at the end of the day, this is not just about a case, this is about getting your power back. You're the only one who holds that power when it comes to yourself."
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