Actress Sunshine Cruz expressed her elation when the court finally granted her annulment with estranged husband Cesar Montano after four years of struggling in her marital relationship.
Cruz shared her thoughts on Instagram, citing that she “will never forget” Sept. 18, 2018. It is the date that her appeal has been granted.
A showbiz news outlet shared a footage of Cruz and her daughters celebrating the court’s decision, with the latter still in their school uniforms.
“I’m very happy, of course!” Cruz exclaimed when a reporter asked about her reaction. Each of her daughters affirmed her elation and told the press that they were “proud” and “happy” for their mother.
She also shared a song on Facebook after the verdict has been granted.
Cruz has filed for an annulment with Cesar Montano in 2014 after being married to him since 2000.
Series of struggles
Alleged infidelity
It all started when Montano was accused of having an affair with starlet Krista Miller as early as 2013. The actor was working with her on the movie “The Turning Cradle: The Untold Story of Mayor Alfredo S. Lim.”
The supposed extra-marital relationship was discovered by the couple’s daughters. Apparently, they saw Montano receiving a romantic text from Miller. They also saw sexy pictures she had sent to their father.
Cruz retaliated by sharing telling posts on Twitter that featured Miller’s account name and passive-aggressive remarks that hinted at a rivalry.
The online war escalated when Miller shared pictures of a t-shirt, a pack of chocolates and a new iPhone 5 on Instagram.
Cruz claimed that she was the one who bought the t-shirt. She also said that the chocolates were from her sister-in-law and the iPhone 5 was hers.
Miller denied her involvement with Montano in several occasions. She even sought to talk with Cruz to clear the issue. Montano, however, refused to comment.
Marital rape and physical abuse
Cruz also accused the actor of alleged marital rape and physical abuse. She claimed that Montano barged into her house and attacked her one time.
She also accused him of committing violent acts where he threatened her with physical harm, hurled obscene accusations and committed grave defamation.
Child abuse
Cruz also filed child abuse charges against the actor after her daughters claimed that Montano performed lewd acts in front of them when they stayed at his house one night. It reportedly caused them to suffer from “distress, psychological and emotional violence.”
Rumors of an illegitimate child
Montano was also speculated to have fathered a child with former beauty queen Sandra Seifert. According to their daughters, they found it out through Instagram, where someone informed one of them about the alleged child.
“Angelina showed it to me and ang reaction lang ng mga anak ko, ‘Mom, we’re gonna have a sibling na naman ulit.’ So, parang ganun,” Sunshine shared in an interview.
Failure to give child support
Cruz accused the actor of not fulfilling his obligations as stated by the court. Montano was supposed to comply with a court order that stated he should provide child support for his daughters.
In retaliation, Montano shared a picture of him holding checks as payment for his daughter’s tuition fees.
Cruz only commented that he was being “pabibo” and went to the same image-sharing platform to express herself over Montano’s post.
According to Article 36 of the Philippine Family Code, a marriage can be annulled if one of the party is “psychologically incapacitated to comply with the essential marital obligations of marriage.”