Bela Padilla denies taking sides on Bea-Julia issue

Bela Padilla has denied taking sides in the heated feud between Bea Alonzo and Julia Barretto.

This, as the Mea Culpa actress discussed her controversial dinner with Bea a day after speculations floated that Gerald was having an affair with Julia, who happens to be the sister of her best friend Dani Barretto.

"I just feel like it's not supposed to be a big deal," said Bela on Tonight With Boy Abunda on Tuesday.

She explained that the dinner – which also involved Angel Locsin, Angelica Panganiban, Paulo Avelino, JC de Vera, EJ Falcon, Janus del Prado – was professional in nature as it was “mandatory” for artists of Dreamscape who was at that week’s trade launch to attend.

Bela also denied unfollowing Julia on Instagram right after it. According to her, she has not been following the younger actress since last year when she decided to do a social media cleanse, hence the decline in her Instagram follow list from 4,000 down to 2,000.

She said it wasn’t only Julia whom she unfollowed on social media, but several more friends in the industry.

"These are people I work with and I hope to work with also in the future . . . I was comfortable in this situation," she said of those she was with during the dinner.

"What I'm uncomfortable with is the insinuation that I unfollowed Julia because of this dinner because I did not,” she added.

Bela revealed that she has since messaged Julia, as well as Dani and their mother Marjorie Barretto, since being on the receiving end of her fans’ ire.

She ended by saying that the social affair “wasn't an attack towards someone. It was literally just a dinner. Sana let's not think badly of people."