1984–1987: Early career beginnings Barretto was launched as one of the newest
Regal Babies together with former child actress
Janice de Belen and upcoming actress
Nadia Montenegro. Barretto released her debut single entitled "Going Steady", which was also the official theme song of the film
14 Going on Steady in which she top-billed along with de Belen and Montenegro. The single was critically panned but became a radio hit in the Philippines. Rumors swirled about the rift between Barretto and de Belen about who should have sung the soundtrack single. In the aforementioned film, Barretto was chosen to record the song, while de Belen got more screen time dancing to the song as shown in the film credits. Barretto continued to star in films like
Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang,
Paalam, Bukas ang Kasal Ko,
Life Begins at 40 and
Goat Buster. Despite being launched as a singer-actress, Barretto never got the chance to record a studio album due to the annual films lined up for her. She soon dropped out of high school to fully concentrate on her acting career.
1988–1993: Softcore films and hosting stint In 1988, Barretto was signed by Robbie Tan to become a contract star of
Seiko Films. In 1989, Barretto's image was revamped from being a teenybopper actress to a full-fledged sex siren. She appeared in several films like
Ang Lihim Ng Golden Buddha, Ipaglalaban Ko,
Tukso, Layuan Mo Ako!,
Ama, Bakit Mo Ako Pinabayaan and
Paminsan-Minsan. Due to the string of successful
softcore films she starred in, Barretto, along with actresses
Rita Avila,
Cristina Gonzales and Rina Reyes, were tagged as the "ST Queens" (which stands for "sex trip") since they were among the most popular softcore actresses in Philippine cinema at that time. In 1992, while shooting the film
Ako ang Katarungan, Barretto was involved in a highly controversial relationship with married actor
Bong Revilla whom she had an affair with for four months. Barretto moved back to her home studio
Regal Films in that same year. Some of her biggest films included
Bakit Ako Mahihiya? and
Kailangan Kita in which she was paired opposite
Gabby Concepcion, all of which were produced by Regal Films. In 1994, Barretto embarked on a hosting career. She joined
Boy Abunda in the late night talk show
Show & Tell. It was in that same year that she ended her contract with Seiko Films in an attempt to make her image more wholesome and commercial to the public. Barretto left
Show & Tell after she became pregnant with Tonyboy Cojuangco's love child. She was replaced in the show by another sexpot in Anjanette Abayari. The show was canceled in less than a year, after poor ratings. In 1993 Barretto was linked to the
Brunei beauties affair.
1994–1999: Public scandals and pregnancy In June 1994, Barretto stood as the whistleblower to the
Manila Film Festival scandal. In that said event, Barretto presented the award for Best Actress alongside
Miss Universe Mauritius beauty queen
Viveka Babajee and actor
Rocky Gutierrez, where both announced actress
Ruffa Gutierrez as the recipient of the award when it was
Aiko Melendez who actually won the award. Rocky Gutierrez was caught on camera slipping the envelope with the winner's name in his pocket while Babajee was heard uttering the words "Take it! Take it!" while handing the award to Ruffa Gutierrez. The same incident happened to the announcement of the winner of Best Actor in which Ruffa Gutierrez and actress
Nanette Medved declared Gabby Concepcion as the winner, when it was actor
Edu Manzano who was the real recipient of the award. Barretto revealed that it was Concepcion's agent,
Lolit Solis and Gutierrez' mother,
Annabelle Rama (who was also Babajee's talent agent) who masterminded the apparent fraud, and she also told reporters that Solis promised her a Best Actress win, a year later if she kept quiet about this plan. Solis pleaded guilty to the offense of orchestrating the hoax, while siblings Ruffa and Rocky Gutierrez, Medved and Babajee were all charged with
estafa. A year later, Barretto got pregnant and gave birth to a daughter named Dominique. She also went public in announcing her relationship with billionaire business tycoon Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco Jr., a man twenty years her senior. Cojuangco admitted to being the father of Barretto's daughter. Barretto took a hiatus in showbiz to concentrate on her life as a mother, and partner to Cojuangco.
2000–2009: Comeback and music career launch Throughout the late nineties, Barretto co-hosted the variety show
ASAP in
ABS-CBN but her serious comeback to acting began in a special portrayal in the drama series
Sa Dulo Ng Walang Hanggan top-billed by sister Claudine Barretto in 2001. Barretto revealed that it was her sister Claudine who convinced her to return to acting after a long break from being away from the spotlight. In 2001, Barretto appeared with sisters Marjorie and Claudine in
Private Conversations with Boy Abunda which became her first public interview together with her siblings. In 2006, Barretto and actress
Dawn Zulueta engaged in heated exchange of insults after it was reported that the latter did not approve of the
prima donna behavior displayed by the former during a
Pantene shampoo commercial they made along with actresses Ruffa Gutierrez and
Angel Aquino. Both actresses revealed that they were not in good terms with each other in separate interviews. Several months after the said incident, Zulueta told reporters that they have finally settled this issue in private. Later that year, Barretto finally accepted the lead role in the
Metro Manila Film Festival entry
Matakot Ka sa Karma released by
Canary Films in December 2006.
Matakot Ka sa Karma became Barretto's first film since 1995's
Costales and she received huge buzz regarding her movie comeback. Barretto was a no-show in the
Metro Manila Film Festival Awards Ceremony as well as in the Parade of Stars several days prior to the event. The movie opened to modest reviews and placed fourth in the box office. Barretto was also set to reunite with former flame
Bong Revilla in the movie
Kapag Tumibok Ang Puso: Not Once, But Twice but backed out after a supposed feud arose between her and Revilla's wife
Lani Mercado, during the film's pre-production. In 2007, a photo of Barretto kissing actor
John Estrada circulated and went viral causing controversy in the showbiz industry. Both Barretto and Estrada denied having an affair or relationship. In 2008, Barretto released her debut album
Unexpected to signal the launch of her music career. She released the single "Please Don't Ask Me" in support of the album. She promoted
Unexpected through a series of mall shows around the country. In that same year, Barretto returned to acting through an episode of
Maalaala Mo Kaya where she played a mistress of a politician, opposite
Phillip Salvador and
Tonton Gutierrez. It was in this drama anthology that Barretto finally won her first acting award, PMPC Star Awards for TV's Best Single Performance by an Actress. A year later, she released her second album entitled
Complicated and released the single "Ready to Take a Chance Again". Barretto was once again involved in a controversial relationship with Rodolfo "Dody" Puno, the Executive Director of the Road Board of the
Department of Public Works and Highways. Rumors broke out that both Barretto and singer
Pops Fernandez were receiving commission from the funds of the Department of Public Works and Highways, as allotted by Puno himself.
2010–2015: Award wins and acting in primetime dramas In 2010, Barretto returned to do another episode in
Maalaala Mo Kaya portraying a widow who falls in love with a parish priest, which was portrayed by
Jomari Yllana. Barretto again won another the award for Best Single Performance by an Actress in the PMPC Star Awards for Television, marking her second win in this category. Barretto embarked in her biggest television project in 2010 with the drama series
Magkaribal, which originally featured Barretto opposite sister Claudine, however, the latter moved to rival network
GMA during the show's pre-production.
Magkaribal starred Barretto alongside actress
Bea Alonzo (who became Claudine's replacement), Angel Aquino and model-actor
Derek Ramsay. In that same year,
Bench launched Barretto's first perfume line called
Greta. Barretto won the award for Best Drama Actress in the PMPC Star Awards for Television for
Magkaribal a year later. After the success of the show, Barretto was slated to star in
Alta, a drama series about high society and the mining industry, with
KC Concepcion and
Angelica Panganiban, but the show was shelved in 2012. It was because of the cancellation of
Alta that she was offered the role of Ashi Behati in
Princess and I in which she portrayed the main villain to the lead stars
Kathryn Bernardo and
Daniel Padilla. In 2013, Barretto joined the cast of
Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala at the request of the show's lead actress,
Judy Ann Santos. Two months later, Barretto debuted in her first
Cinemalaya film entry entitled
The Diplomat Hotel.
2016–present: Business ventures; alleged involvement in sabungero disappearances In 2016, Barretto and her partner Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco joined President
Rodrigo Duterte in his state visit to Japan. By November, Barretto travelled to
Taipei,
Taiwan for a business meeting to support her local casino venture. Beginning in 2017, Barretto has been involved in the casino and
cockfighting businesses of Charlie "Atong" Ang, with Cojuangco also becoming involved in his casino venture at the
Okada Manila. In October 2019, Barretto was involved in a highly publicized family feud during the wake of her father, Miguel Barretto. Her attendance led to a confrontation with her sister
Marjorie, reportedly requiring intervention by the security and then-President
Rodrigo Duterte. The dispute escalated on social media, with Gretchen criticizing Marjorie and her niece
Julia Barretto. During this time, she reconciled with her mother, Estrella, and sister
Claudine, though tensions with Marjorie persisted, with legal action threatened. The controversy captivated public attention and was widely covered in Philippine media. In July 2025, Barretto was alleged by Julie "Dondon" Patidongan, the former head of security for Ang, to have been heavily involved in Ang's perpetration of the
disappearance of more than 100 cockfighters ("sabungeros") in
Luzon from 2021 to 2022. Barreto (as well as Ang) has denied the allegations, filing a counter-affidavit before the
Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC). ==Personal life==