IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jericho Rosales and Kim Jones from lovers to friends

Jericho Rosales and Kim Jones’ relationship, with its seemingly at-ease and uncomplicated nature, is arguably one of the few that showbiz followers have grown to admire.

That being so, the recent confirmation of the pair’s separation has been a shock and a heartbreak to some who have rooted for them since 2011. 

As fans mourn Rosales and Jones’ decision to part ways, here’s a look-back on how the pair found their way from being friends to lovers to being friends again. 

Back in 2010, Filipino-British model Jones, who grew up in Australia, flew to the Philippines as she aimed to pursue a modeling career in the country. A year later, she would meet Rosales at a dinner organized by their common friends. 

At the time, Rosales said he didn’t want to date but a friend showed him a photo of Jones, which he admitted was why he said yes to meeting her. 

“Pagkakitang-pagkakita ko sa kanya, sabi ko mas maganda pa siya sa personal; ang ganda ng mata,” Rosales recalled in a “The Buzz” interview.

The pair didn’t click during their first meeting as Jones could not relate to the actor’s jokes, while the actor couldn’t understand her because of her thick accent. The model smote Rosales, although she didn’t feel the same way as she refused his invitation to meet several times.

After a seeming change of heart, Jones reached out to Rosales and invited him to go out. The pair went on a beach trip where the model started seeing the actor in a different light. Eight months later, in October 2011, Jones and Rosales were officially in a relationship.

One of the couple’s first few public appearances was during the MYX Music Awards in March 2012. 

Over a year had passed, and their relationship remained strong. In April 2013, Rosales decided to take their relationship to the next level and asked Jones to be his wife. After four months of finding an engagement ring and praying for the perfect moment, the actor popped the question on Aug. 4, the model’s birthday. 

“I don’t know why after everything, God still gave me the best person in the world,” said Rosales, who received Jones’ “yes” that day. 

“My mission in life is to make her happy,” he declared.  

Jones, for her part, considered their relationship as proof that God blesses those who are patient and faithful. 

“I’m so blessed to have him as the person that’s gonna be with me the whole way,” she said. 

Rosales and Jones exchanged “I dos” in May 2014, eight months after being engaged. Their wedding was held at a Boracay resort and attended by fellow celebrities, including Gary, Gab, Paolo Valenciano, Coney Reyes, and Iya Villania. 

“Nothing will tear us apart. No man can separate what God has put together, and there will be no other home but in your arms,” Rosaled vowed.

Jones, meanwhile, said, “I love you forever. We’re a team now. I believe that God has ordained this relationship, and because of that, I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving you.”

Over a year into their marriage, the actor disclosed in October 2015 that having kids was not their priority at the time. He added that he and Jones were treating their marriage as their “baby,” giving it all their tender loving care. 

“Kim loves to travel and do fashion. I am giving her my full support just as she supports me in my work. We both work hard so we can save up for our future kids,” he told Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview. “The best thing I love about my wife is that she’s crazy about me. I hit the jackpot!”

The couple has been supportive of each other, and one of the instances that proved this was when Jones attended the New York Fashion Week in 2018 with Rosales as his “assistant.” Such effort, according to the actor, was part of his “better husband project,” which included him “keeping schedules, getting Uber rides and steaming clothes” for the Filipino-British model.

With their busy schedules, the topic of having kids was brought up again in 2019, but Rosales stressed that they were still not ready for it. 

He also pointed out that they have “a unique setup” and that he was grateful to Jones for supporting his plans.

“This time, it’s all about me finding myself. I’m not yet finished fulfilling my other dreams,” he admitted. “Since [Kim and I are] both focused on other things, we feel that bringing a baby into this world now is not a good idea. Kawawa lang ang baby.”

“One day, I know I’m going to be a dad again. All I know is that I’m not ready yet. I also refuse to feel pressured by giving myself a deadline,” he added. “Kim and I are both healthy. We’re fine. We first have to make sure that we want the baby so that it will grow up feeling well-loved.”

It would be later revealed that Rosales and Jones have been separated since sometime in 2019. Despite this, the pair was still seen together doing relief work in Marikina and Cagayan from 2020 to 2021 to help the victims of Typhoon Ulysses. 

They also shared about their new home in New York in February 2022, the same year when breakup speculations about them arose. Both Rosales and Jones appeared to have shrugged it off as they were still seen interacting on their social media pages and even graced the ABS-CBN Ball together in September 2023. 

Rosales addressed the split rumors again without categorically denying or confirming them.

“I never really talk about my relationships, but we’re happy, we’re good. Kim and I, we’re amazing, we’re fantastic,” he said.

Ending the longstanding speculations was the pair’s close friend and godfather, Ricco Ocampo, who confirmed that Rosales and Jones have separated since 2019. 

“While the friendship between the two remains, they have decided it is time to lead separate lives,” Ocampo told ABS-CBN News. “One might say that it is a demonstration of their affection and respect, as Echo and Kim only wish the best for each other.”

Rosales and Jones have yet to speak publicly about their separation as of this writing.