Content creator Dani Barretto has publicly called out her stepfather, actor Dennis Padilla, after a heated exchange online that once again brought their long-running family conflict into the spotlight.
The exchange stemmed from a podcast appearance where Dani spoke about her mother, Marjorie Barretto, and her admiration for her decision to leave what she described as a toxic marriage.
Online exchange escalates
In a comment on social media, Padilla directly addressed Dani and said he would respond “point by point” to her statements about their family history, adding that she only knew part of the situation.
Dani responded with a lengthy message accusing Padilla of abusive behavior during their upbringing, saying she and her siblings were exposed to frequent shouting and conflict at home.
She also alleged that Padilla had a pattern of using social media to defend himself while “gaslighting” his children, and claimed that his public narrative of being “wronged” did not reflect their lived experiences.
Dani further alleged that Padilla would sometimes call his children late at night while intoxicated, leading to verbal confrontations.
Claims of strained family relationships
In her response, Dani also said that several of her stepsiblings, including Julia, Claudia, and Leon Barretto, have limited or no communication with Padilla due to longstanding issues.
The Barretto-Padilla family conflict has been publicly documented for years and has repeatedly surfaced in interviews, social media posts, and public events.
Ongoing family tension
The latest exchange adds to a history of public disagreements between Padilla and members of the Barretto family, including their mother, actress Marjorie Barretto, who has previously spoken about the difficulties in their past relationship.
The online posts involved in the recent exchange have since been deleted, but screenshots and reactions continue to circulate on social media.