Julia Baretto files cybercrime complaint against Jay Sonza over pregnancy rumor

Actress Julia Barretto today showed up at the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) headquarters in Ermita, Manila to file a cyber crime complaint against former broadcaster Jay Sonza, who erroneously said that she was pregnant.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Barretto said in English and Filipino, “Personally, I’ve been through a lot; I’ve ignored what’s been written about me on social media. My reputation, my name, [both] have been ruined. I think I just want to show people that I don’t want to let this pass.”

Barretto added in a separate media statement that Sonza’s post, which appeared on his Facebook page on Sept. 21 but has since been deleted, was “untrue and irresponsible.”

“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,” she said.

Sonza, who was a high-profile broadcaster in the 1990s, wrote online that Barretto was impregnated by her rumored boyfriend, Gerald Anderson. Both actors have denied this claim and Sonza ended up giving a half-hearted apology for his false statement. His Facebook page is currently deactivated.

Anderson was embroiled in a controversial public breakup with ex-girlfriend Bea Alonzo in 2019, where he was accused of “ghosting” the latter. Gossipmongers said that he ditched Alonzo in favor of Barretto, with whom he worked with on the rom-com flick Between Maybes. Barretto, meanwhile, accused Alonzo of “bullying” her after the latter released a series of cryptic Instagram posts alluding to the breakup.

Barretto’s NBI appearance happened a day after Liza Soberano filed charges against a netizen for joking that she deserved to be raped for choosing another internet service provider.