Since the Philippine Entertainment Portal broke the news on April 1 about Anne Curtis humiliating Sam Concepcion, another version, new details, and some modifications of the story have circulated in showbiz circles.
The incident where Anne verbally hurt Sam Concepcion took place at Vice Ganda's birthday party in the early morning hours of March 31, at 71 Gramercy, Century City, Kalayaan Avenue corner Salamanca Street, Makati City.
Anne, 29, is managed by the Viva Artists Agency and appears exclusively on television in ABS-CBN, while Sam, 21, is managed by both Stages and Star Magic, the talent management arm of ABS-CBN.
The two have performed in the Kapamilya network's Sunday musical variety show, ASAP, where Anne used to be a co-host and where Sam is now part of the regular cast.
Just hours after the PEP.ph article appeared, Anne released this on Instagram: “I DID NOT say any of those words…”
She was referring to the following statements that PEP quoted her as saying to Sam, based on our interviews with two sources who asked to remain anonymous:
Anne to Sam—“Why are you here? Who invited you? You’re not even classy enough to be here.”
Again, Anne to Sam—“Ba’t mo niloloko ang kapatid ko?”
The PEP article also mentioned that Anne, arguably the top celebrity endorser today, compared her oldest car to the present car of Sam, a talented singer and actor who has yet to hit the big time.
In effect, say PEP's sources, Anne was jeering that his newest car could not compare to her oldest car.
Anne’s full statement on Instagram was accompanied by a group photo:
“Taken at Vice’s birthday. Of course I spoke to Sam that night and as always, I told him to take care of my baby sister. Like any ate would do BUT to clarify I DID NOT say any of those words written in the article. Kahit tanungin nyo pa si Sam. Even he doesn’t know where those words came from. Basta. Ang mahalaga Sam and I are ok. End of story, no issue here.”
Read: Anne Curtis denies humiliating Sam Concepcion at Vice Ganda's party
As of today, April 3—or two full days after Anne announced that she and Sam had no issue to resolve between them—Sam has not corroborated Anne statement.
Sam and Stages have both remained silent.
Last April 1, when PEP first got in touch with Carlo Orosa, Sam's manager, Carlo had replied: “We will investigate what happened.”
That same day, Carlo told ABS-CBN's late-night news program Bandila: “No comment. We will be quiet about it.”
PILIPINO STAR NGAYON & PHILIPPINE STAR. On April 2, Viva publicist Salve Asis published a different version of the Anne-Sam story in Pilipino Star Ngayon, where she is the entertainment editor.
Quoting a "reliable source," Salve said that Anne never said “Why are you here? Who invited you? You are not [even] classy enough to be here!”
Salve also said that her “reliable source” denied that Anne ever compared her oldest car to Sam’s present car.
Salve wrote that none of that was true, but that this was: “Basta ang totoo lang dun, yung sinita niya sa pambabae si Sam.”
This version of the Anne-Sam story now points the finger at Sam, the rumored boyfriend of Anne's sister Jasmine Curtis-Smith, as the bad guy who had to be put in his place by a protective elder sister.
It also veers the focus from Anne's behavior.
Ricky Lo of The Philippine Star published an almost similar story today, April 3.
His source, whom he describes as “close to Anne,” is supposed to have said: “I talked to Anne, and she was honest enough to say that all she did was ask Sam why her sister is having a problem with him.
"But Anne denied having said to Sam all the things that came out in the news and social media.
"Sabi pa nga ni Anne, ‘After what happened [at another bar involving John Lloyd Cruz’s group], I’m not crazy to commit the same thing again.’
"Anne was just being protective toward her younger sister."
Ricky also said, "Sam’s camp preferred to keep mum."
But Ricky’s source, whom the columnist describes as "somebody close to Sam," is supposed to have commented on Sam's reaction to the incident: “No, he wasn’t crying, although mangiyak-ngiyak siya dahil napahiya siya.”
Also today, April 3, Abante Tonite columnist and erstwhile publicist Jun Lalin put out a story saying that Anne and Sam had actually talked in “private.”
In other words, the columnist/publicist was saying, there was no disturbance at Vice Ganda's party because Anne had pulled Sam aside, away from other guests. He also said that Anne had just done some "social drinking" and was "not drunk."
However, PEP's sources deny this. They say there was no such "private" talk. Instead, there was a loud confrontation by the balcony, in easy view of party guests.
Standing by their story, they say again that on the night of Vice's party at Gramercy, Anne was "drunk," her voice was "loud," and she "humiliated Sam" by saying things like he was "not even classy enough" to be there.
Jun also said in his column: "'Strike 3' na raw kasi si Sam sa kapatid ni Anne, kaya hinila niya ito sa isang tabi sabay dialogue."
The context of this, PEP discovered, is that Anne has been suspecting Sam of being unfaithful to Jasmine. Some news reporters at the Kapamilya network know that Anne is "talagang galit kay Sam."
ADDITIONAL DETAILS. PEP's sources reiterate that other party guests noticed Anne's verbal harangue of Sam.
One source remarked: “Yung mga kasama nga ni Anne sa Showtime went to Sam after what happened. They were there.”
The context of the source's statement was that some people involved with Showtime, where Anne used to appear as a regular co-host, felt badly for Sam and went to him "to console him."
As for the quotes that PEP attributed to Anne, the first source stood by his recollection of the statements made by a "drunken" Anne.
The second source said he couldn't recall Anne's words "totally totally verbatim pero andun yung mga hurtful words."
He added, "Meron pa nga yung tungkol sa sando...”
When PEP checked with a few more sources who were at Vice's party, we found out that, during the latter part of the party and just before the incident, Sam had taken off his blue top.
One party guest explained, “Nainitan siya kaya tinanggal niya. Pero disente naman yung sando.”
This was when, according to the same party guest, Anne said to Sam in a tone that was a clear putdown: “Why are you wearing a sando? You think you’re hot?”
Now a third source, who admits to taking Sam's side, described Sam's reaction when Anne began publicly putting him down.
In a phone conversation at past 12 midnight of April 3, the source said: “Sam was totally clueless. He was surprised. He was at a loss for words when Anne began talking.”
SAM LOVES JASMINE. This third source also reveals: “Sam really loves Jasmine, and all these reports about 'selosan' and 'pambababae' is not the main issue.
"This is about Anne’s behavior that night.
"Sana huwag nilang gawing masama si Sam. Walang ginagawang masama si Sam.
"Ang pananahimik niya ay para protektahan sila."
In addition, PEP gathered from its second source: “Halos hindi na nga raw makapagtrabaho nang maayos ang dalawa kasi laging nasa taping ni Jasmine si Sam, ganun din si Jasmine...
"Okay sina Sam at Jasmine. These past few weeks, magkasama sila.
"At ngayon, nag-uusap naman sila sa pagkakaalam ko."
This second source added that Anne—whose annual income is said to be in nine digits—will get the full support of her management company on this latest controversy:
“Viva will definitely back her up.”
PEP is open to any statement coming from Anne, Sam, and other parties involved.
NOTE FROM DESK EDITOR: Salve Asis, entertainment editor of Pilipino Star Ngayon, makes this correction: "I'm not the official publicist of VIVA."