Claudine Barretto. Image: screengrab from YouTube/Jobert and Chaps Manansala

Claudine Barretto declared she is taking legal action over the threats she has allegedly been receiving amid her current feud with her siblings Mito and Marjorie Barretto.

Claudine opened up about the misunderstanding between her, her older brother Mito and sister Marjorie through an interview vlog with Jobert Sucaldito and Chaps Manansala on Sunday, June 15.

Sucaldito brought up the topic, making a mention of Mito and the apparent threatening messages he allegedly sent Claudine.

“I had no intention of making this public but when your life is being threatened or your reputation is being threatened… This is the reason why the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) was here earlier,” the actress revealed.

Claudine disclosed that she “already sent a cease and desist” letter, although she did not directly confirm if it was addressed to her brother.

“I don’t want to cause a ruckus but I’m scared for my life and my children’s lives as well. Whether empty threats or not, I want to make sure that my children and I will be safe,” she noted. “I’m not saying that it’s this person who is doing all of these, but it’s very timely.”

“The reason I am speaking is because I want everyone to know that if anything happens to me, it’s because there are threats. I’m not saying that I’m being threatened by these people but it is really timely,” she reiterated.

Working with Gene Padilla

Claudine then noted that their feud might have been prompted by her project with Gene Padilla. It can be recalled that Gene earlier made headlines for speaking against Marjorie’s children. Gene famously called out his niece Claudia for supposedly treating their dad, his brother Dennis Padilla, shabbily during her wedding.

Claudine also disclosed that Mito and Marjorie are accusing her of being Cristy Fermin’s source behind the showbiz columnist’s claims about Dennis and Marjorie’s past—which the youngest Barretto sibling denied.

“I told my older brother, ‘Do you actually think I would take Kuya Dennis’ side over Marjorie?’ Because that’s not gonna happen” Claudine said. “But for you think about blackmailing and defaming me, that’s an evil mind.”

Claudine underscored that all was previously well between them siblings, until she was targeted “out of the blue.”

“I hope they do not direct their anger for Kuya Dennis at me,” Claudine said, adding that claims of her being a “drug addict” were being revived by her brother.

“I just hope that all of those are empty threats because I don’t bluff, and I’m suing,” she stressed. “It came to a point where I no longer allow people to speak ill of me, no matter who they are.)

Claudine further noted that she already informed their mom Inday of her plans to take legal action, with the actress saying that her other siblings are on her side.

No longer the Claudine they can ‘bully’

“Stop talking about my past. I don’t live there anymore,” Claudine said.

“If you wanna bring back whatever all of you did to me before, go ahead… But do not expect that I will just sit back and accept it,” she continued as she turned emotional. “I am not that Claudine anymore. I am not the Claudine that you can bully around.”

While she apologized to her fans for making their family’s dirty linen public, Claudine said she’s firm on fighting for herself and her children.