Janice de Belen shared that she did not hesitate to speak to her daughter, Inah de Belen, when the latter became entangled in a social media controversy involving entrepreneur and content creator Rosmar Tan.
In an interview on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, Janice reflected on how she reacted to the issue, saying that being a mother made it impossible for her to stay completely uninvolved.
“I cannot ‘not get involved’ [because] I’m a mom. I called her [and] I immediately told her what was wrong,” she said before she momentarily paused.
READ: Janice De Belen on daughter Kaila Estrada’s love life: ‘I am just happy that Kaila is happy’
While Janice admitted stepping in to point out what she believed needed to be addressed, she emphasized that she also knew when to stop.
“Tapos quiet na ako. Basta nasabi ko na, quiet na ako. Kasi I have to leave you to think about it eh. Ikaw na ‘yan. I told you what was wrong, ikaw na ‘yan”.
According to the actress, she intentionally avoided dragging the matter out or turning it into a lengthy lecture.
“And when we saw each other after ko siyang sinabihan, I never said anything. I did not talk to her about the issue, nothing. When it was over, recently lang, sabi ko sa kaniya ‘Since tapos na, pwede ba, please ingat din,’” she recalled saying to Inah.
“Hindi na ako ‘yung nagbibigay ng mahabang sermon. Maikli na lang,” she emphasized.
The controversy erupted in early May after Inah reacted to a social media comment comparing her to Rosmar following her appearance with boyfriend Jake Vargas at a Flores de Mayo celebration in Bulacan.
A netizen commented on Inah’s Facebook post, initially mistaking her for the social media personality.
“Sorry po ha, nagtataka ako bakit nandiyan si Jake Vargas, akala ko talaga si Rosmar kung di ko nabasa pangalan, nagdalawang tingin pa ako, ang mag-jowa pala talaga, ang ganda mo pati ng damit mo,” the netizen wrote in the comment section of her post.
Inah responded by saying she was unfamiliar with Rosmar.
“Guys, sino ba si Rosmar, hindi ko siya kilala,” she said.
After searching for information about the content creator, she added, “Naresearch ko na siya, plssss don’t associate me with her, ew.”
The "ew" remark quickly drew backlash online and was later deleted, with Inah eventually turning off the comment section on her posts.
Rosmar, for her part, responded through her own social media platforms and expressed disappointment over the actress’s statement.
“Kung maka ew ka naman sa'kin. Mas mukha ka pa ngang mom of 3 sa'kin. At kung makasabi ka ng di mo ako kilala? Mas di kita kilala san ka lumabas? 🥴Hiyang-hiya naman sa'yo ang 30M total followers ko. Kala ko di mo ko kilala? Pero sasabihan mo ako ng ew at nakaka bwisit? Okay lang sana na di mo ako kilala pero anong ginawa ko sa'yo? Para sabihan mo ako ng EW? Starlet na di pa nga sikat, attitude na agad. Pwe!🥵” she wrote.
Amid the heated exchanges, some netizens came to Inah’s defense and argued that the “ew” she used may not have been meant as an expression of disgust, but rather shorthand for “either way.”
As online discussions continued, both parties eventually stepped back from the issue. Inah stopped responding to followers’ comments while Rosmar likewise chose to ease tensions.