Social media is currently abuzz with what appears to be an exchange of posts between actor Ahron Villena and several personalities in the showbiz industry. In a post shared by Ahron, he seemed to reveal that he had been a victim of abuse by a well-known director. The post quickly went viral, sparking discussions and garnering various reactions from the public.
Following Ahron’s revelation, a post immediately surfaced from an account claiming to be that of Director Joel Lamangan, defending himself. In the said post, Direk Joel seemingly responded to the allegations of abuse against him and even disclosed some accusations against Ahron. However, Direk Joel vehemently denied being behind the post, asserting that it was the work of a poser pretending to be him. His friend and movie producer, Dennis Evangelista, further supported this statement, which confirmed that the message did not originate from Direk Joel.
In a statement conveyed through ABS-CBN reporter MJ Felipe, Direk Joel clarified that he had no connection to the viral post. According to him, he did not post the message that appeared to be a retort to Ahron, who had recently shared a statement against an unnamed director. Because of this, many netizens began to doubt the authenticity of the posts and defended their idolized personalities.
TRIGGER WARNING: EXPLICIT WORDS
— MJ Felipe (@mjfelipe) August 26, 2024
Film and TV director Joel Lamangan clarified that the viral post with his name on it, is not his.
"No. Hindi ako yan, poser yan, scammer!"
Lamangan's friend and movie producer Dennis Evangelista also denied the post.
"Hindi nagpopost si… pic.twitter.com/yWdYyebEVA
Meanwhile, writer-director Ronaldo Carballo defended Joel Lamangan against the allegations that he was behind the viral post. According to Carballo, he quickly realized that Direk Joel had not written the post after reading it. He asserted that he was familiar with Direk Joel’s writing style, and it did not match the style of the message circulating online. This further strengthened the belief of many that the post was indeed the work of a poser intending to sow intrigue.
Despite the clarifications, the issue heated up again when Direk Darryl Yap directly identified Joel Lamangan as the director referred to in Ahron’s post. In a re-share of Ahron’s Instagram post, Direk Darryl stated that Direk Joel was the director allegedly responsible for abusing the actor. Darryl even emphasized that since 2022, Direk Joel had unfriended him, which is why he could no longer tag him in his posts.
The feud between Direk Darryl and Direk Joel has been ongoing since 2022, stemming from their competing projects and political views—Direk Joel is known as anti-Marcos, while Direk Darryl is pro-Marcos. Their continued rivalry has sparked controversy and speculation within the showbiz industry, particularly amidst issues like Ahron’s revelation.
While speculations continue to swirl, Ahron Villena has remained silent since his initial post, and the public eagerly awaits further clarification from him or the other personalities involved in the issue.