Aljur Abrenica and Kylie Padilla. Image: Instagram/@kylienicolepadilla; screengrab from YouTube/GMA Network
An emotional Kylie Padilla admitted she initially insisted on saving her marriage with Aljur Abrenica even when the effort “was not returned” and she was already “unhappy,” just so their sons Alas and Axl would not grow up in a broken family.
Padilla opened up about this after she was asked what she learned from her separation from the actor, during an interview for “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda” on Friday, Nov. 3.
“Medyo cliché e, pero I wish nagtira ako para sa sarili ko kasi I gave my all talaga,” the actress told show host Abunda. “People in relationships will go through struggles; meron talaga, kasama talaga ‘yon—but because I made the promise of marriage, sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘If I’m unhappy now and magiging ganito na ‘yung setup namin, ipaglalaban ko pa rin para sa mga anak ko.'”
(It’s cliché but I wish I didn’t give my all. People in relationships will go through struggles; they are part of it—but because I made the promise of marriage, I told myself, “[Even] if I’m unhappy now and if this would be our permanent setup, I would still fight for our marriage for the sake of my kids.”)
“Inubos ko and nauwi din sa hiwalayan,” she lamented as her voice broke from crying. “Galing ako sa broken family so ayokong matulad [‘yung mga anak ko].” (I was drained but still, it ended with a breakup. I came from a broken family so I do not want my children to be like me.)
Padilla further confessed that she does not believe in marriage but that she committed to such for her kids to have a whole family. Nonetheless, Padilla emphasized that she does not regret her decisions as it led to her kids building a good relationship with their father.
“I hate it when people say, ‘Artista ‘yan, palit-palit lang (they change partners every time). That’s their life—like gano’n talaga ‘yung style ng mga artista (that’s how artists are) when it comes to relationships,’ but people don’t know how much it hurt me,” Padilla stated.
“I made a promise talaga to myself e, na kahit na I went through a postpartum no’n…pinaglaban ko pa rin hanggang sa dulo—na paninindigan ko ‘yung ginawa naming kasal. The fact that it wasn’t returned, masakit sa akin,” she continued.
(I really made a promise to myself, and even if I was going through a postpartum at the time, I still fought for our marriage until the end. The fact that it wasn’t returned pained me.)
Padilla then underscored that she has nothing against Abrenica despite what they went through because he is still the father of her children.
At the latter part of her interview, Padilla gave a message to her sons whom she regards as the “light of [her] life.”
“Kung ano man ‘yung challenges natin in our family, just know that we’ll always be a family and buo tayo. I’ll always be here for you,” she said. “I’ll always be your mother. Mahal na mahal ko kayo and tanggap ko kayo kung sino kayo.”
(Whatever challenges we may have in our family, just know that we’ll always be a family and that we are whole. I’ll always be here for you. I’ll always be your mother. I love you two so much, and I accept you for who you are.)
Padilla and Abrenica had been dating for six years when they welcomed their firstborn Alas in 2017. The former couple then got married in 2018 and welcomed their second child Axl in 2019. The pair’s separation was confirmed to the public in 2021.
Abrenica, who confessed in a 2023 interview that he had cheated on Padilla, is currently in a relationship with actress AJ Raval. Padilla, meanwhile, said she has been dating again.