The rift between Anjo Yllana and Rustom Padilla was well-known in the 90s as it was one of the first known issues that sparked the conversation about the latter’s true identity.
It can be recalled that no one thought that Rustom, known for being an action star and one of the bad boys of cinema, was hiding his true self.
However, rumors about Rustom were already circulating around the industry.
Eventually, Rustom admitted his true self and transformed into BB. Gandanghari.
The story started in the early 1990s during the now-defunct sitcom Palibhasa Lalaki production, which featured Anjo, Rustom, and Carmina Villaroel.
According to the reports, Anjo joked about Rustom’s orientation behind the camera, which didn’t sit well with Carmina.
While the joke was not aired on television, the incident pushed Carmina to leave the show and prompted Rustom and his brother, Robin Padilla, to target Anjo.
In his explanation during an interview with Morly Alinio, Anjo said that the assistant director asked him to make a joke about Rustom.
“Si Rustom ay bak…” Anjo said while recalling the said line.
Anjo said that the incident happened during the show’s rehearsal and that the joke had been removed from the actual take.
However, Carmina’s make-up artist heard the joke, thinking that Anjo was trying to make fun of Rustom for real.
The make-up artist then informed Carmina and Rustom about what Anjo said, which started it all.
The confrontation between them didn’t end at the studio, and Anjo was awkward because he was Robin’s neighbor at the time.
Fortunately, three decades after the incident, Anjo shared that he reconciled with the parties involved.
He even shared that Robin urged him to also run for senator, which he refused to do.