ACTRESS Kathryn Bernardo has confirmed that she and actor Daniel Padilla have officially broken up.
The actress confirmed this in a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday, November 30, 2023.
"Chapter closed. I hope this finally helps all of us move forward," Bernardo said in her post.
"I've been in showbiz for almost 21 years now, 12 years as one-half of Kathniel, and 11 years as someone who loved Deej even behind the camera," she added.
Bernardo said that their relationship was real and was never for show, and that their love was not because of the cameras, not because of the fans, not because of the money that comes with a successful love team.
"We were genuinely in love. We grew up together, dreamed together, and saw many of those dreams become a reality-still together. That's almost half of my life that I would never regret and would never trade for anything in the world. These are 11 years that brought me joy, adventure, and the feeling of being home. Years that taught me the real meaning of unconditional love and friendship. He knew me more than anyone else. He was my first boyfriend. He was my comfort zone. He was my person. I will always have love for him," Bernardo said.
She later revealed that their relationship also had to go through obstacles, saying that they tried their best to make it work.
"We've been drifting apart for a while now, and we ultimately had to accept that we can't go back to where we used to be. It just won't be fair to pretend that everything is still the same. These past few months have been tough, but thank you for giving us the time we need to process the pain and finally face the elephant in the room," Bernardo said.
"Our love story began with respect and ended with respect," she added.
Bernardo also told her fans not to choose sides with the breakup, saying that both she and Padilla will still continue to make them proud.
"Kathniels, we know you are hurting, and trust me, this also hurts us both more than you can imagine. The last thing we want is for this family to break apart with everyone taking sides—please don't. Deej and I will continue to support each other as we try to heal and move forward from this. We will continue to love you and make you proud, but we hope you understand that this is something we really need. We hope you can join us in this healing process and not let those precious memories go to waste. Kaya natin to," Bernardo said.
Bernardo ended her post with a touching message for Padilla:
"Deej, you gave me 11 beautiful years and the kind of love that I will forever cherish. I will always be grateful for you."
Daniel's side
Shortly after her post, Padilla also confirmed their breakup through Instagram.
"Sa mundo, buhay at sa limitadong oras na tayo ay nandito, Isang malaking biyaya ang pagmamahal. Ang mahalin ka. At mahalin mo. Ang mga alaala natin ay laging kong baon sa aking puso at magiging liwanag sa mga madidilim kong araw," Padilla said.
"Thank you for dancing with me during my highs and thank you for singing with me during my lows. Our lives may drift away, but our love will still ride that tide," he added.
Padilla also thanked their fans for their years of support.
"Kathniels, Maraming salamat sa pagmamahal ninyo. Maraming salamat sa napaka gandang pinag samahan natin. Hindi namin ipagpapalit at hindi makukumpara kahit anong pang gawin nila. Hindi nila pwedeng sirain yun. This is beyond show business. Pamilya kayo at mga kaibigan. Magiging mahirap, pero kailangan natin yakapin ang kinabukasan," Padilla said.
The actor also has parting words for his beau of 11 years:
"Bal, ang pagmamahal ko sayo ay walang hanggan at walang katapusan." (SunStar Philippines)