MANILA, Philippines - More than being a distinguished actor of his time, Eddie Gutierrez deserves praise for being a "supportive" husband to his feisty wife, Annabelle Rama.
With Annabelle consistently hogging the headlines lately due to her battle with Nadia Montenegro, many probably wonder where Eddie fits in the picture or how he is able to gel with someone so "brutally honest."
Eddie said he simply let's her do her thing, making sure, though, to give her sound advice from time to time.
"Hindi 'ko siya pinapagalitan. Minsan pinagsasabihan 'ko siya na hindi tama ang sinabi mong ito pero tama naman itong sinabi mong ganon. So pinaguusapan namin," said Eddie in a live interview with Annabelle in DZMM's "Rated Korina" on Feb. 16.
Despite his silence over the controversies faced by his wife, Eddie stressed that he fully supports Annabelle in all her endeavors, may it be in her career or in her personal fights, for which she's become notoriously infamous.
"Totoo. Talagang tinulungan niya ang pamilyang 'to," stated Eddie pertaining to Nadia's family whose daughters Ynna, Alyanna and Annyka Asistio were his wife's wards.
Annabelle broke in and blurted, "Hindi siya nagagalit dahil alam niyang totoo ang mga sinasabi 'ko day!
"Tsaka alam niya talaga ang ugali 'ko. Ako nanunugod talaga ako 'pag ako'y galit. Dalaga pa ako, kilala niya ako nanunugod talaga ako 'eh," she pointed out.
The fan and the star
The couple's love story is actually one for the books which started when the determined and avid fan Annabelle started tailing her celebrity crush, the then-matinee idol, Eddie. From Manila all the way to Cebu, she "stalked" Eddie during his tapings. She eventually asked Eddie out that later led for a romantic relationship to blossom.
Years later, Annabelle mothered their children Ruffa and Rocky Gutierrez, but, bells didn't immediately toll for the couple. In fact, they even parted ways, with Annabelle flying to the US and leaving their kids to Eddie's care when she realize that she had to "surrender" because, apparently, Eddie's "not taking her seriously."
The major turning point in the couple's relationship happened when Eddie figured in a vehicular accident. Despite being in the US, Annabelle kept tabs of Eddie's status by constantly checking on him in the hospital. And it was through that sincere gesture of Annabelle did Eddie realize that she was a woman worth keeping and he eventually asked for Annabelle's hand.
Eddie revealed his longtime hope for Annabelle: "Alam mo si Annabelle I want her to grow. Noong araw pa gusto 'ko mag-grow siya kaya ngayon na she is what she is now dahil walang selosan na. Wala ng away, wala ng gulo kaya masaya ang buhay namin."
Annabelle's soft side
If there's anyone who can probably substantiate what kind of person Annabelle truly is off cam, it would no less than her husband, who's been by her side for 35 years now.
But few know that prior to attaining bliss in their relationship, it was as problematic as those of other couples.
During the interview, Annabelle animatedly recounted the countless anecdotes of the confrontations she has had with Eddie's purported paramours, most of them marked with physical fights in public places.
Despite this, Eddie said of her: "'Yung soft side ni Annabelle makikita mo sa pagaalaga niya sa mga anak niya. Sa pagmamahal niya sa mga kaibigan niya na talagang tinutulungan niya. At inaasikaso niya ang bahay namin. She takes good care of me, of our children.
"At 'yung mga kapatid niya tinutulungan niya, marami siyang natulungan na kamag-anak niya. Nung nasa States kami maraming pumunta 'roon inalagaan niya, binigyan niya ng trabaho," related Eddie.
Recall that the couple stayed for several years in the US during the '80s when they still had their cookware business.
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