That dream wedding straight out of a teleserye has collapsed, with the bride-to-be flying off with her family while the groom stayed behind to attend to business matters at his family’s multibillion-dollar retail empire.
The traditionally low-profile Cos have stayed silent, but those close to the family said they were shocked by key prenup details that surfaced publicly and painted them in a negative light.
We’re told Vincent, who truly believed he could avoid the public glare while dating one of the biggest names in showbiz, was hurt by the revelations.
Nevertheless, it’s clear Vincent is protective of Bea.
This is apparent in the recent flow of news stories carefully steering accusations away from Bea and toward her talent manager, Shirley Kuan, over alleged meddling in the prenup details.
Speaking of the prenup, crucial leaked details may have been misrepresented.
The most controversial issue involves custody of future children, but an insider close to the Cos said the narrative being spread did not reflect the actual discussions.
“One of the things insisted upon is while the child [or children] are minors, they must remain with the mother,” the insider said. “They turned it around when they said it was the father who asked for this.”
Under Philippine law, custody issues involving minors are ultimately decided by the courts based on the best interests of the child, regardless of parental agreements.
Another item was alleged behavioral restrictions, but the insider said that was allegedly requested by Bea’s handlers.
“If Vincent raises his voice, who will benefit?” the insider said.
But they admitted that residency in the Co family compound was part of their asks.
“If you are a billionaire family, you want security to be consolidated and efficient,” the insider said.
We’ve heard conflicting versions on whether the prenup was signed or left unsigned. While the wedding date was set, the couple decided it was best to delay the union due to some very personal reasons.
They agreed on telling guests the wedding would be “postponed,” but it was someone from Bea’s side who later sent the message to friends saying it was “canceled.”
We can’t discuss those issues here because that would be entering the realm of speculation.
But like the “I dos” that did not materialize, some things are best left unsaid and kept between the couple in this painful chapter.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
