The couple confirmed the news through their social media posts.
In separate Instagram posts, Philippine showbiz power couple Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla announced that they have parted ways.
In the caption of her Instagram post, Kathryn shared an old photo of him and her now ex-boyfriend. She briefly said: “Chapter closed. I hope this finally helps all of us move forward. I won’t be entertaining questions regarding this anymore. Thank you for understanding.”
In the next slides, she addressed the rumors regarding their relationship. “I’m well aware of the rumors and speculations going around, and as hard as it is to put everything into words, I want you to hear it straight from me: It’s true that Deej and I have decided to part ways.”
“What Deej and I had was real. It was never for show. We were not together because of the cameras… fans… the money that comes with a successful love team,” Kath continued.
“We were genuinely in love. We grew up together, dreamed together, and saw many of those dreams become a reality — still together.”
“These are 11 years that brought me joy, adventure, and the feeling of home. Years that taught me the real meaning of unconditional love and real friendship.”
“He knew me more than anyone else. He was my first boyfriend… my comfort zone… my person. I will always have love for him.”
Kathryn then detailed the trials that their relationship faced, especially in recent months.
“Like in any relationship, we tried our best to make it work. We have 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.”
“Our love story began with and ended with respect,” Kathryn told the public.
To their fans, Kathryn assured them that she and Daniel will continue to support each other as they “try to heal and move forward from this.” She then asked ‘Kathniels’ for their understanding and “not let those precious memories go to waste.” “Kaya natin ‘to,” she exclaimed.
To end, she gave her message of gratitude to Daniel. “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 then took to his Instagram to air his message.
“Sa mundo, buhay, at sa limitadong oras na tayo ay nandito, isang malaking biyaya ang pagmamahal. Ang mahalin ka at mahalin mo.”
(“In this world and life, we are here only for a limited time and to love and be loved is a huge blessing.”)
“Ang mga alaala natin ay laging [sic] kong baon sa aking puso at magiging liwanag sa madidilim kong araw.”
(“I will always treasure our memories in my heart and it will serve as the light during my darkest hours.”)
“Thank you for dancing with me through my highs and… singing with me during my lows. Our lives may drift away, but our love will still ride that tide.”
He also gave thanks to Kathniels for their love, support, and bond. He also shared that he is praying for everyone to grow and heal.
Finally, his message for Kathryn: “Bal, ang pagmamahal ko sa’yo ay walang hanggan at walang katapusan.”
(“Bal, my love for you will never end.”)
Their comments sections were then flooded with messages from fellow artists and fans.
The beginning of ‘KathNiel’ can be traced back to the teen-oriented drama ‘Growing Up’ in 2011, where they starred together. In 2012, Kathryn, Daniel, along with Enrique Gil and Khalil Ramos, became the four lead actors of ‘Princess and I,’ where the team-up between Kathryn and Daniel was formally launched.
Since then, they have topbilled numerous films and TV series, such as ‘Must Be Love,’ ‘Got To Believe,’ ‘Pagpag,’ ‘She’s Dating The Gangster,’ ‘Crazy Beautiful You,’ the 2015 remake of ‘Pangako Sa’yo,’ ‘Barcelona,’ ‘La Luna Sangre,’ and the mega blockbuster ‘The Hows of Us’.
In recent years, they have co-starred in the digital drama ‘The House Arrest of Us’ in 2020. They then made their primetime teleserye comeback in 2022 through ‘2 Good 2 Be True’.
This year, they were confirmed to be starring in a film together under Star Cinema and the direction of Cathy Garcia-Sampana, and was supposed to be released in 2024. However, the project’s status is now unknown.