Who Was Inday Barretto? 5 Things About the Late Matriarch
As the mother of celebrities Gretchen, Marjorie, and Claudine, Inday Barretto had become a notorious figure in the country's entertainment industry. She passed away on January 29, 2026.
by Kyla Villena
Published on Jan 30, 2026
Inday Barretto passed away on January 29, 2026. The news was first shared by her son, Joaquin—more commonly known as JJ—in a simple Facebook post, where he uploaded a photo of a candle with the caption, “Rest in peace, Mom. I love you.”
Her youngest daughter, renowned actress Claudine Barretto, also paid tribute. She shared a series of Instagram posts taken while her mother was still in her hospital bed, reflecting on moments when they were still able to hold each other. In the captions, Claudine reassured Inday that they would be okay and reminded her that she had raised a warrior.
As the matriarch of one of the country's most influential families, Inday became a well-known figure in the Philippine entertainment industry.
Ahead, here are five facts about her.
Who Was Inday Barretto? 5 Things About the Late Matriarch
She was 89 years old.
Estrella “Inday” Barretto was born on January 12, 1937, making her 89 years old at her time of passing. She was married to Miguel Barretto, who passed away back in 2019, and they had seven children—Mito, Michelle, JJ, Geraldine, Gretchen, Marjorie, and Claudine. Mito had also departed in 2025.
Her exact cause of death was not disclosed.
While Claudine revealed in 2024 that Inday was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease, it was not explicitly stated if this was the cause of her death. However, JJ had been sharing updates about their mother’s status in the hospital, showing that she was confined on January 7, and transferred to the Intensive Care Unit on January 27.
She occasionally appeared in interviews.
Unlike her daughters Gretchen, Marjorie, and Claudine, Inday did not actively pursue showbusiness. However, given the roaring popularity of the three ladies—and their children—throughout the years, she ended up popping into the limelight at times. Only three months ago, Ogie Diaz released an explosive interview with the matriarch.
She was known to have a strong personality.
It’s no secret that Inday was a fighter. In the aforementioned interview, she shared that one of her beliefs as a mother was that you should “teach your children not to be good” because kindness could be abused. She also highlighted the importance of knowing when you should stop being “forgiving” or “loving.”
She had a rocky relationship with some of her children.
Her kids were no exception to her strong personality. It’s etched in Philippine showbiz history that Inday often had misunderstandings with some of them, especially Gretchen and Marjorie. In 2013, Gretchen and Inday had months of word war, with claims of theft, narcissism, and abuse coming from the actress.
In the recent interview with Ogie, Inday stated that she does not have a good relationship with Marjorie, who was as surprised as everyone upon hearing these claims. Marjorie then expressed her side through Instagram, wondering if their good times of “talking, hugging, and comforting each other” was just her “illusion.” She also said, “With my mom, if you are not a problematic child, you become the least favorite.” Marjorie’s children, including actress Julia Barretto, vowed to love and protect their mom “no matter what.”
Whether the whole family made amends before Inday’s passing remains unknown.
Rest in peace, Inday Barretto.
Kyla Villena loves a good lip gloss and a trip to the art gallery. She is Preview's beauty girl, who doubles as a self-proclaimed motivational speaker.
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