In a development that stunned fans of Philippine showbiz, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla called it quits on their 11-year relationship in an Instagram post on November 30.
Bernardo penned the heartfelt announcement, confirming that their reel-to-real relationship ended amidst speculations a few months back.
"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," Bernardo wrote in a lengthy post alongside old pictures of her with Padilla.
"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," she continued.
The relationship encompassed generations and captured hearts from all walks of life. Let us now look back at a decade-long partnership of a beloved love team.
The year ‘KathNiel’ was born and the magic of “Princess and I”
Kathryn and Daniel first worked together in the youth-oriented afternoon series ‘Growing Up’ in 2011. Both played as volleyball players in the show.
The two had their first primetime TV series a year later with “Princess and I”. marking their first act as a love team together. The show also featured Enrique Gil and Khalil Ramos, whose characters competed for the love of Kathryn’s “Mikay.”
It was a hit for Filipino viewers as it lasted 10 months with consistently impressive ratings, solidifying KathNiel as one of the emerging love teams.
KathNiel’s blockbuster appeal
Kathryn and Daniel started their big screen journey as one of the love teams in “24/7 in Love” in 2012 before their first top-billed movie together, “Must Be…Love” in early 2013. They then made their first MMFF movie, “Pagpag: Siyam na Buhay”, a horror thriller co-starred by Paulo Avelino and Shaina Magdayao.
In 2014, KathNiel broke through with the movie adaptation of Wattpad's hit “She’s Dating the Gangster.” The movie, helmed by renowned director Cathy Garcia-Molina, catapulted the tandem to box office success, earning P296 million.
They followed it up with “Crazy Beautiful You” in 2015, which grossed P225 million in local theaters, adding to their growing list of successful movie projects.
KathNiel ventured to more mature roles in “Barcelona: A Love Untold” in 2016 and “Can’t Help Falling In Love” in 2017.
In 2016 — the same year they confirmed their five-year relationship — the love team starred in one of the most successful Filipino movies of all time, “The Hows of Us”. The movie was the first to gross P600 million in Philippine theaters, becoming the highest-grossing Filipino film ever before Bernardo’s “Hello, Love, Goodbye” with Alden Richards in 2019 toppled it to reset the record.
Big screen hiatus and break-up
Kathryn and Daniel took a break from working on movie projects until their TV comeback in 2022’s “2 Good to be True”, which marked their 10th anniversary.
KathNiel had their last public appearance as a real-life couple at the ABS-CBN ball in 2023, where rumors circulated about their breakup after both entered the ball on separate walks.
Kathryn dropped the bombshell on the evening of November 30, 2023.
Bernardo had one last message to their fans in her Instagram post: “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 moments go to waste. Kaya natin ‘to.”
