Budding actress Max Eigenmann clarified in a TV interview on Sept. 13 that she and actor Dennis Trillo are not an item even though they were together in Boracay last week when their other companion, JB Bordajo, drowned.

Max, a mainstay of ABS-CBN’s “Agimat: Ang Mga Alamat ni Ramon Revilla Sr. Presents Tiagong Akyat” and TV5’s “Lipgloss,” told Pia Guanio, host of GMA-7’s “Showbiz Central,” that prior to Boracay, she had only met Dennis a few times through her relatives who are also in show business.

She belongs to the illustrious Eigenmann clan of actors along with her father Mark Gil, brother Sid Lucero and cousins Ryan and Geoff Eigenmann.

"Itong [sa Boracay] trip lang talaga that we really got to know each other,” she said, referring to a resort-sponsored sportsfest that she and Trillo attended as host and judge, respectively.

“Hindi kami dumating pareho,” Max recalled. “Nauna pa ako sa kanya. Dumating s’ya the next day. At hindi ko rin alam na may parating pala na isang celebrity guest. Tinawagan lang ako ng manager ko (Ricky Gallardo of Talent Factory) the night before, saying that pupunta si ganito, si ganyan.”

Max said she only met JB in Boracay. “Isinama lang [ni Dennis] si JB para kapag tapos na ang trabaho namin, may kasama s’ya,” she explained.

JB had been a longtime P.A. (personal or production assistant) of singer Gian Magdangal, who co-hosts Channel 7’s Sunday noontime show “SOP” with, among others, Dennis.

“I only met JB during this particular trip.. And I only had two days to get to know him, and he was wonderful. Ang saya-saya n’yang kasama. Palagi s’yang masaya. As in sobrang palagi s’yang masaya,” she noted of her departed friend.

Max and Dennis flew back to Manila the day after the Boracay tragedy.. Max said she went to JB’s wake on Sept. 12 but didn’t say if Dennis was there, too.

When asked how her relationship with Dennis changed in lieu of the Boracay incident, Max replied: “Well, I can’t expect anybody to understand but during the most crucial time or the hours after it happened, we just comforted each other. It’s like, right now, aminado ako, it helps kapag kinakausap ko s’ya. Kasi parang feeling ko, s’ya lang ang nakakaintindi.”

JB's remains is reported to be cremated on Sept. 15.

Meanwhile, Pauleen Luna, the actress being linked to Dennis, said in recent TV interviews that her closeness with him started eroding when their primetime comedy series, “Adik sa ‘Yo,” ended Sept. 11. She cited lack of time for each other as the culprit.

However, when Dennis got into an accident in Boracay last week, Pauleen revealed that she was one of the first persons the actor called. She recalled that Dennis was in tears then and blamed himself for what happened. Pauleen said she consoled him with comforting words.