Fil-Am Vanessa Hudgens confirms engagement to pro-baseball player Cole Tucker

By Kristofer Purnell Philstar.com

By HannaH Mallorca Inquirer.net

CELESTE Cortesi may have failed to bring home the 71st Miss Universe crown last January, but at least she still got to be called queen — Queen Kevnar of the fictional planet Marte, that is — following her surprise appearance in ABS-CBN teleserye “Mars Ravelo’s Darna” during its finale episode, which aired on February 10.

Cortesi, it would be recalled, took inspiration from the Filipino female superhero for the national costume competition of Miss Universe, a move that was lauded by “Darna” actress herself, Jane de Leon, as well as the family of the late Mars Ravelo and the producers of the show. Her appearance on the show, however, gave rise to the question: does this mark the start of Cortesi’s acting career?

Cortesi, in her speaking role in the finale episode, expressed her gratitude to Darna (Jane De Leon) for protecting the Marte. “Nagtagumpay ka sa misyon mo. Tunay kang anak ng magiting na mandirigmang si Zorra, matapang at maaasahan. Nararapat kang maging protektor,” she said, as seen in a video uploaded by ABS-CBN Entertainment on Feb. 11, “Maraming salamat sa mga sakripisyo mo. Dahil sa ginawa mo, nailigtas mo hindi lang ang mundo kundi ang buong kalawakan.” (You have succeeded in your mission. You are truly the child of the defender Zorra, who is brave and reliable. You are meant to be the protector. Thank you very much for your sacrifices. Because of what you’ve done, you did not just save the world but also the universe.) While it’s unclear whether Cortesi would pursue acting after Miss Universe 2022, she revealed on her personal Instagram account that her surprise debut role was an opportunity “to learn and to grow.”

“Taking on the role of Kevnar, The Queen of Marte is definitely a new experience

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FILIPINA American actress Vanessa Hudgens has confirmed that she and professional baseball player Cole Tucker are engaged. Rumors of Cole popping the question during the latter part of 2022 circulated last week and was picked up by media outlets like TMZ and People. Vanessa confirmed the engagement when she posted on her Instagram account a photo of her with the Colorado Rockies player as she showed off the diamond ring on her finger. “YES. We couldn’t be happier,” Vanessa simply placed in the caption, accompanied by a white heart emoji. Among those who congratulated the couple were actresses Lily Collins, Monique

Coleman, Sarah Hyland, Ashley Benson, Nina Dobrev, Brittany Snow, Ashley Park, and Vanessa’s sister Stella.

Vanessa had previously dated Oscar-nominated “Elvis” actor Austin Butler for over eight years but broke up in 2020; later in the year she was linked with Cole whom she had met over Zoom, as she had shared on “The Drew Barrymore Show.”

Since then Vanessa has been attending Cole’s Major League Baseball games while Cole has frequented as Vanessa’s plus-one to events and companion on social media posts. She is best known for her role in the “High School Musical” franchise and will next be seen in the upcoming film “Downtown Owl” and a voice role in “Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.”