Why live-in arrangement the biggest challenge in ‘KimJe’s’ relationship
Jerald Napoles
Real- and reel-life couple Kim Molina and Jerald Napoles admitted that the biggest challenge they experienced when they decided to share a home and cohabitate in 2020 was convincing Kim’s parents that it was the right thing to do.
“It was a struggle to explain the arrangement to my family. My parents (who are based in Saudi Arabia) are very conservative and traditional. I’m more open to my mom, but my dad didn’t take it lightly … the idea that Je (Jerald’s nickname) and I would become live-in partners,” Kim, 31, told Inquirer Entertainment.
“I grew up with them in Saudi and only came back to the Philippines when I was 16. They got used to me being so dependent on them for my needs. When the pandemic came, I had to explain to my dad that Je and I needed to move in together. This happened shortly after I finally admitted to them that I had a boyfriend, and that this boyfriend was also an actor like me,” she recalled. “It was funny because, since this was at the height of the pandemic lockdowns, we had to set up a Zoom family meeting.”
Kim and Jerald eventually convinced her parents that the setup was ideal. “We just had to build trust. In the end, it became a decision by the family. I’m grateful that my parents have gotten close to Je. When I got sick, Je took care of me. I guess that’s how he won their hearts,” the actress said.
Jerald, 40, added: “I simply explained to her parents what was happening in the Philippines at the time. I was very straightforward. I told them what Kim needed, and what I was willing to do for her. I guess that was enough for them.”
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Inquirer Entertainment then asked what they thought made them click in spite of the nine-year age gap. Jerald said: “It’s because I’m more childish than Kim. Seriously, it’s hard to find someone like her. She is everything, plus she’s someone with a good sense of humor. Everything I’m looking for in a girl, I found in her.”
Article continues after this advertisementKim, on the other hand, said: “Not only do I appreciate that he is a very wise and intelligent man, I also like his ‘laban’ attitude. For example, he was given a project recently that required him to swim. He doesn’t know how to swim, but he bravely dove into the water because it’s something he really had to do.”
“Also, we share the same life goals,” she added. “I’m turning 32 this year and have specific targets. He respects me and my decisions as a woman. I appreciate the fact that he is willing to wait for me.”
When asked to react to the idea that he has put on hold some of his personal plans, particularly of finally settling down, for the sake of Kim, Jerald said: “I can’t say that’s accurate. I also believe there’s a right timing for everything. For example, we both got affected financially by the pandemic. It came right after the release of ‘Jowable.’ We’re lucky because we did ‘Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam,’ which also became a hit. If not for those successful projects and our viral YouTube videos, we’re not sure if we’d be offered ‘Team A’ today. It’s all about life’s right timing.”
Kim Molina
Jerald was referring to the sitcom “Team A: Happy Fam, Happy Life,” which will premiere on March 18 on TV5. In the series directed by Mervyn Brondial, the real-life couple plays Ian and Janet, parents to their daughter Yeye (Gianna Iguiron). The series, said Brondial, is inspired by the 1970s sitcom “John en Marsha,” which aired on TV for a record 17 years.
“That’s the goal,” said Jerald. “I hope we would be given the same opportunity. It would be interesting to see Yeye eventually becoming a teenager. I watched ‘John en Marsha’ the series as I was growing up, and even got to watch the movie version. When I saw our script, I also noticed the same formula. For me, to do a project like this—something that has the potential to become iconic—with my girlfriend is really a dream come true.”
Unique partnership
As for Kim, she admitted feeling overwhelmed and grateful. “This applies to everything I do as an artist. Je and I are grateful for the trust. Whenever we are given a project, we try to give it the best flavor we can. This proved to be effective in our past projects. Of course, we’re very grateful for the comments comparing our teamup with those we consider our idols.”
Their partnership is quite unique. Not only are they workmates and lovers, they are also business partners. “We started as workmates in ‘Rak of Aegis,’ which was where we first fell in love. When we formed our startup business, it felt like a lot of things were happening all at the same time. I’m lucky that Je is such a wise man. He guided me on what to focus on. To cope, we would also talk about the Top 3 things we are hopeful for in a day. This energizes and inspires us to plan for the next day,” Kim explained.
Jerald said they would also make sure to detach themselves from the KimJe love team when they’re not at work. “This is so that we would not bring in stuff we don’t need as partners, or stuff we don’t need as workmates.
“When we start getting too affected by the frenzy around us, we would distance ourselves from each other. She’d say, ‘Je, umalis ka nga muna!’ That was actually one of the problems we had to resolve during the lockdowns. Whenever I would get banished from the house, I also couldn’t leave and would just stay by the gate,” Jerald said laughing.
“Team A,” which also features Yayo Aguila and Anjo Yllana, airs on TV5 every Saturday starting March 18, at 9:30 p.m., as well as on Sari Sari every Sunday, at 9 p.m. It is a coproduction of TV5, Cignal and Viva. INQ
