Alden Richards ‘really happy’ for Maine Mendoza, Arjo Atayde’s relationship: ‘I-respeto natin kung anong meron si Maine’
(From left) Alden Richards, Arjo Atayde, Maine Mendoza. Images: Screengrab from YouTube/Ogie Diaz, Instagram/@arjoatayde
Alden Richards hopes that fans of Maine Mendoza, with whom he formed a love team known as AlDub, will respect the latter’s relationship with Arjo Atayde, saying the actress deserves to be happy.
Richards stressed that he’s “really, really happy” for Mendoza and Atayde, during an interview with showbiz writer Ogie Diaz, which was uploaded on his YouTube channel on Tuesday, May 30, as he pointed out that their relationship deserves to be respected.
“Sa ngayon po kasi, kung anong meron si Maine [Mendoza] and Arjo [Atayde], nire-respeto ko po ‘yun. I’m really, really happy for her. Kasi at least, kahit papaano, nakikita ko sa kanya mismo na masayang-masaya siya,” he said. “I-respeto na lang po natin kung ano man meron po si Maine ngayon sa personal niyang buhay. Kasi kung anuman po ‘yan, deserve niya po ‘yan.”
(For now, what Maine Mendoza and Arjo Atayde have, I respect that. I’m really, really happy for her. Because at least, I can see that she’s very happy. Let’s respect what Maine has in her personal life. Because whatever she has, she deserves it.)
The actor also touched on the allegations that he and his former onscreen partner are married and have children, maintaining that these are not true.
His statement is notably an echo of Mendoza’s sentiments in November 2022, which she expressed in an interview with Diaz as well.
“Ang tsismis naman po, hangga’t hindi napapatunayan, will remain a gossip. D’un lang po ako palagi. Wala akong tinatago sa kanila. Pero d’un sa part na may anak, wala po kaming anak ni Maine. ‘Yan po ang totoo. Sinabi rin niya po ‘yan,” he added.
(Gossip, if not proven, will remain a gossip. I believe in that at all times. I’m not hiding anything from them. But as for that allegation that Maine and I have children, I say I don’t have children with Maine. That is the truth. She also said the same.)
Despite the allegations, the “Hello, Love, Goodbye” star maintained that the AlDub love team made a huge impact on his showbiz career.
“Noong nangyari ang AlDub, isa ‘yun sa mga blessing sa buhay ko. Grabe ‘yun. Sobrang laki ng impact po n’un sa akin (When AlDub happened, it’s one of the blessings in my life. It was really significant. It had a huge impact on my life),” he said.
During the interview, the 31-year-old actor also confessed that he really wants to get married and have children in the future, although he noted that he wants to settle down at 35.
“Nasa plano ko po magka-pamilya. Gusto ko po talaga magkaroon ng anak. Gusto ko po may asawa. Mahirap po ‘yung single, at saka ayokong i-deprive ‘yung anak ko na lalaki lang siya na tatay lang ‘yung kilala niya. Gusto ko buo ‘yung family namin,” he said. “Dapat by 35, kasal na ako. ‘Yun po ang sinabi ko sa sarili ko.”
(Having a family is one of my plans. I want to have a child. I want to have a wife. It’s hard to be single, and I don’t want to deprive my future child of a complete family. I don’t want him to grow up with just a father. I want our family to be complete. By 35, I want to get married. That’s what I told myself.)
In a separate interview with Diaz, Mendoza pointed out that while she’s grateful to those who supported her love team with Richards, she hoped that they would show respect for their personal lives.
The actress has been engaged with Atayde since July 2022, three years after the latter confirmed their relationship in January 2019.
Meanwhile, Richards mentioned on multiple occasions that he’s happily single. /ra
