Actor-comedian Dennis Padilla shared his heartbreak after learning that his daughter, Claudia Barretto, filed a petition seeking to legally remove his surname from her name.
Claudia is the second daughter of Dennis with his former wife, Marjorie Barretto. The former couple also shares two more children, Julia and Leon.
In an Instagram post on June 8, Dennis posted a copy of a court document showing Claudia's petition filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 302 in Quezon City.
Based on the document he shared, Claudia is seeking to change her name from Claudia Isabelle Barretto Baldivia to Claudia Isabelle Barretto.
This effectively drops the surname Baldivia, which is Dennis's real surname.
While the document posted online did not disclose the full details of the petition, it indicated Claudia's intention to legally adopt only her mother's surname.
Despite his sadness over the development, Dennis emphasized that his love for his daughter remains steadfast.
“Kung ang lungkot ko ay kasiyahan mo anak... Hindi magbabago ang pagmamahal ko sa'yo Claudia,” he said.
In the caption of his post, the actor added that he respects Claudia's decision.
“Love you Claui... I respect your decision... Malungkot lang talaga😢❤️,” he wrote.
Before Claudia's petition, her sister Julia had also considered changing her surname in 2014. However, she later decided not to push through with the move and retained her father's surname.
However, in another post, Dennis shared a photo of himself hugging Julia and Claudia when they were still children, along with a message expressing that his love and hope for them remain the same with or without his surname.
“MISS You...Julia and Claudia Baldivia.... With or without the family name...Same love, same hope,” he wrote in the photo.
“If my sadness will bring joy to you my children... My heart is full... Same Love Same Hope♥️😢,” he added in the caption.
It was back in April 2025 that Dennis publicly expressed his disappointment with his experience at Claudia's wedding to Basti Lorenzo, claiming he was treated more like a visitor than the father of the bride.
READ: Marjorie Barretto breaks silence on Dennis Padilla’s claims: ‘Ang gusto niya atensyon’
In subsequent social media posts and interviews, the actor expressed hurt over what he described as the treatment he and his side of the family received during the wedding. At the time, he said he was tired of trying to mend his relationship with Claudia, Julia, and Leon, and even declared that he would stop pursuing reconciliation with them.
Months later, however, Dennis appeared to reach out again to his children when he greeted them on Christmas Eve in a social media post. He has also greeted them on their birthdays by posting their photos on Instagram.
Just last May, Dani, the half-sister of Julia, Claudia, and Leon, criticized and called out Dennis, while saying that he had been allegedly abusive.
Her remarks came after Dennis commented on a video clip from her guest appearance on Kylie Verzosa's podcast, Almost Honest. In the podcast, Dani spoke about her admiration for her mother, Marjorie, and praised her for leaving what she described as a toxic marriage.
READ: Dani Barretto slams Dennis Padilla: ‘Ikaw na naman kawawa?’
In the video's comments section, Dennis addressed Dani directly and said he would respond to her statements "point by point."
Dani later answered with a lengthy message in which she accused Dennis of abusive behavior and damaging his relationships with his children. She also claimed that he frequently turned to social media to defend himself, while allegedly spreading false narratives and gaslighting his children.
She also defended her mother against criticism and maintained that there were reasons Dennis’s children no longer communicate with him.
As of this writing, Claudia has yet to publicly address the petition or provide further details regarding the legal move. Julia has also yet to confirm whether she has also decided to pursue the change of surname after being tagged by her father in his post.