We all have our favorite real-life couples we root for to make it to the end and ride off into the sunset.
Who remembers how ardently fans shipped Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart or Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield when they were dating?
So, the public sadness was palpable when these couples broke up. Now, another couple has joined the list- Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, once lovingly known as KathNiel.
But what’s the reason behind the sudden breakup?
After being together for 11 years, on December 1, 2023, Kathryn Bernardo (27) confirmed that she and Daniel Padilla (28) had broken up with an Instagram post. She said it was because “We’ve been drifting apart for a while now.” However, their fans allege that the 28-year-old Daniel cheated on Kathryn with actresses Andrea Brillantes (20) and Gillian Vicencio (22).
Why Did KathNiel Call It Quits?
Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, lovingly called KathNiel by their fans, devastated and surprised everyone by announcing that they were calling it quits after 11 years of being together.
27-year-old Kathryn Bernardo officially confirmed their breakup to her 18 million followers on an Instagram post on December 1, 2023. She said:
“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 together 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.”
As for why they had chosen to part ways, Bernardo revealed that it was because they had “drifted apart.” The actress wrote:
“Like any other relationship, we tried our 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.”
However, she said that Daniel was her first boyfriend, “her comfort zone,” and “first person.” She also said that she will always have love for him. Kathryn ended her post by saying:
“Our love story began with respect and ended with respect.”
In response, Daniel Padilla wrote in a separate Instagram post:
“Our lives may drift away, but our love will still ride that tide.”
Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla began dating in 2012 after meeting on the sets of the series Growing Up, which aired in September 2011. The Filipino couple has appeared in films like She’s Dating the Gangster (2014) and The Hows of Us (2018).
Their chemistry kickstarted a huge fandom that referred to them as KathNiel. Due to their 11-year relationship, fans loved them and considered them idols. But even before Bernardo confirmed the split, there were rumors of trouble in paradise.
There was speculation for a long time that Daniel had cheated.
Who Is Gillian Vicencio?
The 22-year-old Gillian Vicencio is under the talent management company of ABS-CBN. The actress is active on Instagram and has 274,000 followers there. On Twitter, she has 16.2k followers.
The rising starlet also has a YouTube channel where she shares her life and the food she loves to make and eat. She debuted with the 2018 film Eerie, directed by Mikael Red. Her performance impressed many, and this netted her the iWant series called Kargo (2019).
After that, she became a part of movies like Hello Stranger: The Movie, Hellcome Home, Four Sisters Before the Wedding, etc. What drew the eyes of KathNiel fans towards her first was the fact that she starred in the series 2 Good 2 Be True in 2022 with them.
She has been dragged into the KathNiel breakup drama, with many fans thinking that Padilla cheated with her on his longtime now ex-girlfriend. However, she isn’t the only one fans are branding with a scarlet letter.
Daniel Padilla and Andrea Brillantes: A Cheating Saga?
Andrea Brillantes, a 20-year-old Filipino actress, has also been dragged into the breakup drama. Many of KathNiel fans alleged that the 28-year-old Padilla had cheated on Bernardo with her.
Rumors of their affair began when Daniel was allegedly seen leaving her home. Despite the 8-year age gap, many think that they did have an affair, which ultimately led to the breakup of KathNiel.
Also, Kathryn’s caption on her breakup post made people believe it wasn’t an amicable breakup. She had written:
“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.”
Many of her fans felt that it seemed too forceful like everything she had written about respecting her ex was empty and borne out of maintaining good PR.
Others felt the words were carefully chosen to ensure they didn’t air their dirty laundry for the public to see.
But what put oil to the fire of the rumors was Sofia Andres, one of Kathryn’s friends and an actress, unfollowing Daniel Padilla and Andrea Brillantes on Instagram.
None of the parties involved have acknowledged any of the cheating rumors.
Do you think it was an amicable breakup? Or was there cheating involved? Did Daniel cheat with Andrea on Bernardo?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
