Oh, Boy!

The trouble started with this report in the Inquirer headlined “Kris Aquino rages outside home of James’ rumored girl”:

Show biz celebrity Kris Aquino confronted a female fan of her husband, basketball star James Yap, shouting insults at the woman and her mother just outside their upscale Pasig City residence late Wednesday, the Inquirer learned Thursday.

The popular TV host and movie actress spent about 10 minutes at the gate of the Valle Verde 2 home of Mayen Austria, 35, according to Austria’s uncle, Gabby Lopez (no relation to the ABS-CBN chair).

The report went on to detail how Kris allegedly threw invectives at Austria and her mother, shouting: “Anong klaseng nanay ka? Anong klase ang palaki mo sa anak mo?”

The story took also took on a political color, after the girl’s uncle stated: “I now know who I will not vote for.” Kris’s older brother, Noynoy Aquino, is the frontrunner for the May 2010 presidential elections.

On the same day, Ricky Lo of the Philippine Star, who is known to be close to Kris, presented a much-different version of the story, and detailed the events that ultimately led to the confrontation:

Kris and James were having a late lunch at 2 p.m. that day when James’ celfon rang. The caller was a girl, crying, and saying, “I did everything already...” blah-blah-blah. Kris did what any wife would do (and considering that she and James have just survived a “Lovers’ Quarrel” sorted out during a post-Christmas family trip to Bangkok): she asked James who the girl was and why she’s crying on his shoulder. James had hung up after telling the girl that he’d call her later.

Later, Kris expressed disappointment that the issue was being used as an attack against her brother. She also clarified what really happened that afternoon:

Aquino said she was “very polite” when she expressed her “discomfort about [Mayen’s] actuations” towards Yap.

“Mrs. Austria said it was all just a misunderstanding. I told her, ‘I’m sorry to be disturbing you, but I just had to come here. It makes me uncomfortable that your daughter is calling my husband,’” Aquino said.

“At this time, [Mayen] came out. She said James called her up to tell her that I’m on my way, and to just say sorry to me. She said, ‘I don’t know why I should. I’ve done nothing wrong.’”

Aquino added: “I told her, ‘As a wife I’m telling you that it’s wrong. Why do you have to cry to my husband about your boyfriend leaving you when the guy is not even a friend of James’?’ I said to the mom, ‘Thank you. I hope your daughter would stop calling James,’ and then I left.”

Meanwhile, a text message, purportedly coming from Austria herself, started to circulate, detailing her version of the events. The message read:

"To everyone. Kris Aquino passed by house to make me sugod. She spoke to my mom. Very mad, berating us saying i always text and call james. That my mom didn't bring me up right. That we shouldn't be talking to married men. She said she's leaving james and to know that i am the last straw and the reason for their break-up. My family has great respect for Teopacos who are our family friend. Mrs. Teopaco is Cory's youngest sister. My mom raised us right. My mom didn't deserve all that. James missed called and texted na he warned me pupunta siya [Kris] sa house. He called me to apologize and say sorry. Kris said we had something going on. I don't deserve this. Most especially my mom. I have chemical depression and could have easily taken an overdose of pills because of the incident. With the hugs and love of my mom and sisters, and tranquilizers, i'm okay. Do you want Kris to be in malacanang."

This afternoon on The Buzz, Kris sat down with Boy Abunda to discuss the issue. She opened by saying that she was there to save her marriage. She then apologized to Mayen Austria’s mother, and recounted her version of events. Boy asked her about the relationship with James Yap, and after a commercial break, she admitted that she had left their conjugal home, taking their two kids with him, and they were currently staying with her sister Pinky. “I’ve tried, God knows I’ve tried. And in all fairness to James, he has also tried, but maybe, in my opinion, not hard enough,” Kris said. She added, “I have never given him any reason to doubt my fidelity. I just want the same thing in return.”



It was a curious turn of events for the couple, who were embroiled in a similar controversy in 2007. Only a couple of days ago, Kris and James thrilled the Big Dome crowd at Sharon Cuneta’s birthday concert by performing a duet (although perhaps ominously, they sang Rey Valera’s “Kung Tayo’y Magkakalayo”).

The public display came on the heels of the couples’ recovery from a spat that happened over the holiday season last month. Ricky Lo reported that the two briefly separated before reconciling just before Christmas:

Kris admitted that she and James did fight “on Dec. 17,” adding that James proceeded to Cagayan de Oro for a PBA game that same weekend.

“We had no communication until Dec. 24 when he joined my family for Mass and noche buena,” said Kris.

No, there was no “third party” (on James’ part) even if the DPA suspected that there might be by saying, when asked if there was, “It seems.”

As far as I know, James is faithful.

The fare was the same one the family has been sharing all these years, except that Kris didn’t cook her mom, Tita Cory’s, favorite spaghetti because it would remind them of her “not being around” and make them cry. According to Kris, they decided to have the noche buena at her place in Valle Verde because they are moving to Quezon City early next year.

In all honesty, Kris said that their problems have come from, 1) a deep depression on her part (due to her mom’s death), 2) a heavy workload on her part, and 3) her brother Sen./Presidentiable Noynoy’s campaign which is all-consuming for her.

I feel a bit sorry for James Yap in this situation. He couldn’t be thrilled that his wife threw him under the bus on national TV while she played victim; how’s that going to help salvage their marriage? I think everyone can agree that the girl wasn’t his girlfriend, although her calling him up might have been inappropriate.

(Like the rest of the country, I wonder why that girl was calling him for romantic advice. Is he the Papa Jack of PBA players, and was this his own little “True Love Conversations”? Can PBA fans just start doing this? I’m also a huge Purefoods fan. Can I just start calling up Jondan Salvador the next time I need love advice? He seems like he’s a good listener. Or should I start sending him cupcakes first? But I digress.)

Since this is still a sports blog (I think), I’m here to discuss the implications of these events on James Yap. Oh yeah, the basketball part. Back in 2007, after the controversy with Hope, Yap played like a madman during the Fiesta Conference. It was an import-laced conference, but he still routinely scored in the 30s during games. He capped the conference off with back-to-back 40-point games, which was amazing considering Marquin Chandler was also on the team.