“Kathniel” no more. Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo. Image: Instagram/@bernardokath
Updated 10:56 p.m.
Closing the chapter to the popular “Kathniel” love team after months of speculation, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla confirmed that they have split after 11 years together.
“Kathniel,” the monicker given to their love team and their fans, is a combination of Bernardo and Padilla’s first names. Their love pairing on and off screen proved to be one of the longest relationships in the entertainment industry, which is why their breakup has elicited so much interest.
In a lengthy statement on her Instagram account on Thursday, Nov. 30, Bernardo expressed her gratitude to Padilla for maintaining a “real” relationship that was “never for show.”
Padilla issued a separate statement about their breakup on his Instagram page.
“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. We grew up together, dreamed together, and saw many of those dreams become a reality—still together. That’s almost half of my life that I would never regret and would never trade for anything in the world. These are 11 years that brought me joy, adventure, and the feeling of being home,” said Bernardo, who is one-half of the popular “Kathniel” love team that spanned more than a decade on and off the camera.
Kathniel drifting apart
However, the actress admitted the past few months have been tough as they tried to “make their relationship work,” noting that the two of them have drifted apart.
“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,” she said. “These past few months have been tough, but thank you for giving us the time we need to process the pain and finally face the elephant in the room.
Bernardo also apologized to their loyal supporters for breaking their hearts with the news, as she stated that she and Padilla started and ended their love story with “respect.”
“The last thing we want is for this family to break apart with everyone taking sides — please don’t,” she said. “Deej and I will continue to support each other as we try to heal and move forward from this. We will continue to love you and make you proud, but 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 memories go to waste.”
A few days before the couple announced their split, Padilla was being linked to Andrea Brillantes, who has not spoken about the reports as of writing. Previously, Bernardo was monitored to have unfollowed Brillantes on Instagram, and a few days later, the latter did the same on the “A Very Good Girl” star.